Pokemon - From Shiro & Beyond
by Danny Power and his Broken Sky
Summary: Alex & Derek, two aspiring Trainers, finally get the chance to choose their very first Pokemon! Follow them through a brand-new region, encountering many intriguing and interesting twists along the way, as they battle any and every challenge that stands in their way, and the final obstacle that's rapidly rising to meet them. (Will be added based on positive reception)
1. Chapter 1

"Just a few steps more, Kazu."

My Scyther obeyed, silently nodding, advancing through the thick foliage much quicker than I could have anticipated. Our prize was just ahead of us, a lone Heracross, scouring the area for berries.  
It made it's presence all the more perplexing, the Pokemon was looking for food in a no-go zone.  
Shiro City was densely populated, with thick bands of forest circling it, resolutely refusing to give in to the industrial expansion. Over my head, I could still see the coal station, it's chimneys ushering pillars of smoke, contributing to the overall smog surrounding us. If it weren't for the band of trees, cleaning the air as best they could, we would be driven out from our own homes.  
But the forest itself couldn't escape unscathed, almost all of the trees unable, or unwilling, to produce anything resembling food. It was a natural assumption that this Bug-type migrated here, unaware of how toxic it's surroundings were.  
Or how dangerous a Trainer like me could be.

"Slash."

Kazu leaped into the air, it's shadow falling directly on it's prey, as of yet unaware of it's fate. The Heracross turned around, instantly catching view of it's adversary, and rose into the air to meet it, it's enormous horn glowing pin-prick white.  
I hadn't anticipated such a quick response! My Scyther had no time to dodge!

"Get out of the way!" I shouted, but to no avail.

Heracross struck against my Pokemon with sickening force, shooting Kazu out of the air, collapsing to the ground. Much to my relief, my Scyther rose to it's feet almost instantly, with just a few scratches and scrapes to it's name. It could have been much worse. Now, I had a choice. I could run, save my pokemon to fight another day, or we could battle on, both Pokemon evenly matched, and hope one ultra ball was enough to capture it.  
A tall order, considering how powerful this wild pokemon appeared to be. It definitely wasn't a Shiro city resident.

"Wing-Attack, let's go"

A Flying-Type move would be perfect, and Kazu understood this, once again charging towards it's opponent, allowing it's wings to slash into the air. My sudden burst of optimism faded, however, when the Heracross _side-stepped, _missing the attack altogether!  
It could out-maneuver my Pokemon? Impossible!  
The wild pokemon charged, with all the momentum of a wrecking ball. 'Take Down', and like it's name suggested, it could very well take my pokemon out of this battle for good, I wasn't sure Kazu could take another hit like that!

'_Screw this.'_

"Dodge it! We're leaving!"

My pokemon shot into the sky, not enough to maintain a healthy altitude, but more than enough to escape Heracross's blind charge, the Bug-Type continuing it's charge towards the nearest tree, colliding against it with all the inevitability of a car crash. I ran from this fight, the grass scraping at my exposed knees, my pokemon effortlessly keeping up with my pace.  
Where did that pokemon come from?

* * *

"So wait, tell me how big it was! Heracross are native to Johto, so the odds of spotting one here are practically non-existent. It must have been a trainer's pokemon, there's simply no other explanation."

"But I'm telling you, it was there! If you want, we can go right back and I can _show_ you, anything to make you believe me!"

"...I'll pass. The pokemon sounds pretty tough. It managed to take on your Scyther?"

Drake was my best friend, and a pokemon fanatic. If anyone knew anything about pokemon, it would be him, which made his inconclusive analysis all the more frustrating. The city centre was quiet, only a few notable shoppers making their way to wherever their hearts desired, the main square almost completely empty. Of course, with all the pollution that was escaping into the air, there was no motivation to stay outside for longer than was strictly necessary.

"It's my dad's Scyther, and he's looking for it, now that we're leaving tomorrow."

"You couldn't start with Kazu as your first pokemon? That's a little unfair." Drake pondered, smirking.

"I think I'll get my starter like all the other good boys and girls, thank you very much!"

We were able to choose our very own pokemon from tomorrow, and continue on our way throughout the region, free to do whatever we wanted. I was told by my parents that it was important to explore the world as much as I could before I had to think about my future, what University I wanted to go to, what job I wanted to be in when I grew up, where I wanted to live. I was 13 years of age, and already I'm being reminded of how adult life is going taste when I turn 18. Thankfully, there was quite a bit of time between now and then that I could enjoy. The future could wait, right now.

"You think there will be any interesting pokemon in the day care center this year?" I asked, hoping to gain an opinion, and perhaps some insider information, from my best friend, and soon-to-be travelling companion.

"Well, the mcKletchys never give out the information of what pokemon they had acquired, but last year there were a number of pokemon from the Sinnoh and Hoenn regions, so maybe this year they will mix things up and show us pokemon from Kanto or Johto?"

"It sounds plausible, hopefully there will be a Cyndaquil or a Charmander, I'm thinking of specializing in Fire-Types, and you?"

Derek paused for thought as we continued walking towards our house, contemplating.

"I know they won't, but I would love to see a Ghost pokemon around, there's just something about them..."

It sounded interesting, but I felt that maybe these type of pokemon were out of the hands of ordinary beginners such as ourselves, at least for now. I couldn't imagine the day care's owners managing to capture a number of Ghost-Types, they could simply glide through their walls and escape again. But there was always the possibility. The mcKletchys were powerful trainers in their own right, after all.

"This air is getting pretty rancid." I was forced to admit, as my house drew ever closer, the windows completely covered in soot and ash. "They said the broken chimney would be fixed a week ago, this entire town in is going to be painted black by the time anything's done!"

"I know, Alex, I know." came the only response Derek felt like giving right now, distinctly bored of this topic of conversation.

My parents were away on errands, promising to be back by mid-afternoon. Of course they wouldn't, but that meant that we had the entire place to ourselves. Me and Derek instantly sat on the couch, watching trainer battles play out live before us, a Gengar taking on a powerful-looking Nidorino.

"You think this will be us one day?" I asked, making my way to the fridge as Derek could be heard gasping in shock, almost falling off his seat at the action.

"Alex! You should have seen that move! You _missed _it! Gengar used Shadow Ball, but that Nidorino _dodged _it! It was awesome!"

I _would _miss all the action, now wouldn't I?  
I retrieved some crisps, offering a bag to my pal as we watched the remaining few minutes of the battle draw out. Nidorino battled admirably, and there was no questioning it's speed and power, but as soon as the Ghost-Type used 'Hypnosis', it was all over. It's opponent asleep, Gengar was free to carry out 'Dream Eater', sending it's foe into an erratic state of pain, before it's movements ceased, unconsciousness. That pokemon belonged to the current league champion, Hez Rodreigez.

"Stupid name. Great Trainer." Derek commented, sipping a drink I had no idea he had.

I withdrew Kazu's poke-ball, placing it exactly where I had found it. I wasn't allowed use my father's prized pokemon, but I thought a little bit of real-life practice before gaining a companion of my own wouldn't hurt. After all, what he didn't know wouldn't kill him.

"Well," my friend continued, rising to his feet again, stretching as he did so. "I'm gonna take off, I'll see you at 8, I'm assuming?"

"You bet I will, I'll be there for 7!"

"_Sure_ you will, I've known you far too long not to know that would never happen!"

"You wanna place a wager?" I challenged, grinning like an absolute dork as Derek raised his hands in refusal.

"Afraid I don't have the money, anyway, take care amigo!"

His exit allowed me to clean the place up a bit, make it look respectable by the time my parents managed to make their way home. I was thankful that I wouldn't be sleeping here for quite some time, Shiro City was far too boring to contemplate living here by choice, and the rest of the unpolluted world rose to meet me, promising adventure and danger and quite possibly romance!  
Hopefully romance.  
It didn't matter what kind of pokemon I chose, what mattered was that I would be, officially, a _Pokemon Trainer, _one that could be mentioned in the same breath as Hez Rodreigez someday.

'_Someday...'_

How long had it taken for him to rise to the top? The man was easily in his thirties, had he started as a teenager like me? Younger even? That would provide him with almost 20 years of Trainer experience, longer than I had lived! Wrapping that concept around my head proved baffling, but went some way to explain the pokemon master's amazing form recently. He had gone on undefeated for the past 15 months, defeating any challenger to his throne. Now, simply proving strong enough to challenge him was an enormous honor, with the safe assumption that he would win, regardless of his opponent's team.  
Maybe I could stop him. Maybe that was my destiny.  
I shook my head, clearing the delirious thought from my brain.  
I needed to stop inhaling those outside fumes, they were messing with my mind!

* * *

7:59am

My alarm was about to go off, waking everyone in my household, when I disarmed it hurriedly. I had no idea when my parents made it home, and I was in no hurry to wake them up right now. No time to lose, I withdrew a piece of paper, unleashing the nearest writable object I could find, and began writing a letter.

'_Mom & Dad.  
I'm sorry I had to leave so early, I have to go now if I want to get the Pokemon that I want. I'm really excited about this! I wish you were around last night, I watched a whole bunch of pokemon battles, I'm a master already!  
If I have time, I'll come over again, so you can see which type I've chosen. I would have picked a Water pokemon like you, mom, or a Bug-Type like Kazu, dad, but I'll just see what is on offer when I get there, hopefully I'll make the right decision.  
If I'm not at the house by midday, give me a call, I'll be on my way out of the city with Derek.  
Love you!  
Alex.'_

I scaled down the stairs as quietly as I could, slipping the letter underneath Kazu's poke-ball. I was going to miss that pokemon. Yesterday was not the only time I had taken it without my father's knowledge. The Scyther needed to be let out more, in my opinion.

'_I'll see you again, take good care of my family for me.'_

I raced out the door, oblivious to the sun already shining as hard as it could, intensifying the smog around me. I had minutes before the day care center opened, and I wanted to be there as quickly as I could, hopefully to grab a first-class view of the new Pokemon. This happened every year, and the lead-up to the event was tantalizing, as if 10 Christmases had come together. This feeling was what was spurring me on when I would have been left breathless long ago. I could see Derek, casually making his way towards the mcKletchys' household.

"Morning!" I shouted, darting past him as quickly as I could, chuckling as he decided to up the pace, side-by-side alongside me. It seemed like we were the first two to arrive at the door, much to my surprise! Wouldn't there be a bigger group rioting outside the front door by now? I voiced this concern to Derek, who retaliated by staring at me with his cold, blue eyes.

"It's 8am. They usually don't hand out pokemon until at least 9, everybody knows that!"

Everyone except me, it seemed.

"Well hello there! Fancy meeting you two up so early!"

Ms. mcKletchy smiled at us with so much affection it physically hurt, opening the door even further, placing a metal hinge on the ground to stop it from closing in on itself. She knew us well, the two of us having worked inside her bakery store last summer.

"I take it you want to see the pokemon now?"

She didn't even have to ask such an insultingly rhetorical question, the two of us nodding as passionately as we could.

"Well then, go right ahead. Don't charge in _too _quickly now!" she replied, smiling happily as we made our way inside. Trusses supported the roof above and a hearty fireplace was already igniting in flame, keeping the pokemon before it nice and warm.  
There was an Eevee, a Sentret, a Nidoran, all very worthy candidates for my first pokemon, but none that really ticked the 'Fire-Type' box I had in my head. Behind us, yet more pokemon made their way towards us, exclusively Water-Type. A Mudkip, followed by a Wooper, with an Oshawott making his way towards Derek, removing his schaltop from his belly, offering it to him.

"You're too kind!" He responded, but he noticed the trap as soon as it was played. Oshawott would make a fine starter pokemon, but we haven't seen all of them yet, better to play it safe and make a decision when we knew exactly what choice was available. I was just about to laugh at my friends unfortunate situation, when I caught a pokemon from the corner of my eye, dazzling me instantly.  
There, scampering towards me, was a Cyndaquil.


	2. Chapter 2 - Beginning the journey

The Fire-Type nuzzled up against me, surprisingly cool. Its soft fur felt nice against my fingers, and I felt ecstatic that the pokemon I was looking for, _hoping _for, was right at my feet!

"Cynda! Quil!"

I crouched down, allowing it to sniff my fingers, smiling ever more ecstatically. Cyndaquil responded by placing a paw against my palm, not at all nervous.

"I think he likes you!" Derek commented, nodding in amusement as I laughed alongside the pokemon, risking holding it in my arms. To my amazement, the little guy neither wiggled nor squirmed, sitting happily in my hands as if it had known me it's entire life, I didn't expect taking care of a pokemon to be so...easy.  
But then again, this was the first case scenario. Hopefully things would stay this way.

"He's taking a liking to you, I see!" Ms McKletchy announced, almost as amazed as we were, both Oshawott and Eevee following behind her legs. " I must say, it's barely 3 months old, and I've never seen Cyndaquil so relaxed. You like him?"

"More than anything else in the world!" came my honest reply, tickling my new pokemon lightly, hoping to make it giggle.

All that did was make Cyndaquil squirm...flashes of flame bursting from it's back!  
I almost dropped the pokemon there and then, intense bursts of pain flashing across my chest, and it took all of my resolve and strength to place Cyndaquil on the ground with some amount of dignity, like placing a piping-hot casserole dish on a table without dropping it on the floor!

_'My chest my chest my chest!'_

My T-shirt was completely destroyed, a large, charred hole clearly visible, smoking profusely, exposing my skin. thankfully, the pokemon's flare-up could be measured in 'milliseconds', which left no third-degree burns.

"Cyndaquil!" McKletchy responded, as if she witnessed a child stealing from a cookie jar. " I told you before, you can't use fire around _anyone!_"

I couldn't understand the effectiveness of telling the pokemon that what it did was wrong, in the same way that I could never understand telling a small child that rubbing vaseline against a TV screen was wrong. I understood that it was simply too young to understand.  
But still.

"Are you ok?" she asked me, reaching for an ice pack, which I accepted graciously, placing it against the could-have-been burn area, wincing slightly.

"I'm fine, my T-shirt was the only victim this time around!"

"I never liked your shirt, anyway." Derek responded, smirking so much at his own joke that I internally cringed. Cyndaquil seemed to be oblivious to what it had just done, scampering against my legs once again.

"Quil!"

Giving it the benefit of the doubt, I reached for the pokemon again, with _much _more reservation this time. Tickling was a big no-no, it seemed, but at least I knew now.

"You're a mischievous little guy, aren't you?" I cooed, risking a little rocking movement, as if I was cradling a baby. " I'm sure you and I will get along just fine."

"So you made your decision?" McKletchy asked, taking a better look at the Fire-Type, crouching down until they were face-to-face. "Cyndaquil will need a lot of looking after, Fire pokemon are much more difficult to raise and look after than other types of pokemon."

I was going to need to pack more, fire-retardant, clothing, and that meant detouring back to my home again, but there was simply no other choice for me, I had made up my mind.

"I would love to raise Cyndaquil!"

"Well consider him yours, Alex. Congratulations!"

Arriving early had it's rewards, and I was incredibly happy that no-one else was around to claim this pokemon before I did. I cheered, raising Cyndaquil up in the air, twirling it around and around.  
Which of course resulted in another unprovoked ignition, the Fire-Type spouting deep bursts of flame from it's back. Thankfully, it was nowhere near my clothing, or anywhere near me in general, and the sensation was completely pain-free, if not dangerously close to the wooden trusses above our heads!"

_'I'm going to get used to you, little guy, if it's the last thing I do!'_

Happy with my choice of pokemon, McKletchy handed me a miniature poke-ball, as well as a handheld device, barely the size of her frail hand.

"I am delighted to announce that you, Alex Power, are hereby an official Pokemon Trainer! Here is your Cyndaquil's poke-ball, as well as your Pokedex."

I accepted the gifts with my one free hand, Cyndaquil nestling happily in the other. I enlarged the capsule with a press of a button, months of experience with Kazu taking over, and returned my new pokemon within it's casing, sighing in relief that I temporarily didn't have to worry about any other unexpected flare-ups. Derek moved around the large living room, trying to discover his own pokemon companion. A smile here, a sigh there, but I could tell that he wasn't happy with any of the choices that were available to him. Like myself, my friend had a preference leading up to today, the chance to acquire a Ghost-Type.  
Something which I saw very little chance of happening.

"You could ask her if there's a Ghost Pokemon around?" I asked, knowing what Derek was thinking instantly, noticing how I caught his attention as soon as I said this.

"Perhaps you're right." he replied, making his way to McKletchy shyly. "Is there a Ghost Pokemon here, by any chance? I would really like to specialize in those types of pokemon."

The elderly woman scratched her chin, pausing for thought.

"Well, there is _one_ pokemon that I could offer you, but I caught it just yesterday, and I'm still not sure exactly how it reacts to me, but of course you can see for yourself, and see if the pokemon takes a liking to you, follow me."

She walked towards the end of the hall, the two of us making our way behind her. Gradually, I noticed our surroundings getting darker and darker as we traveled towards what must have been her basement, a pitch-black entrance at the end of the hallway.

"Pumkaboo?" McKletchy echoed, staring into her basement's darkness with a smile. "We have visitors! They want to meet you!"

Seconds of no response melted by, to the point where neither of us were sure if the pokemon would reveal itself, until a medium-sized pokemon reared it's head, making it's way towards us. At first glance, I couldn't make out it's features, having never heard of this particular pokemon before, I had no idea what to expect, all I could make out was a sense of blurred motion. As it peered towards us, however, I noticed that it's pumpkin body had a pair of circular holes carved out of its rind, resembling eyes. The ghostly body that lived inside was black, with a pointy collar, yellowish eyes with no visible pupils, a pair of fangs, curved ears and a curled stem. It floated closer towards Derek, circling him slowly, forever suspicious.

"It's just getting used to seeing you." McKletchy explained to him, my friend frozen in place as the Ghost-Type continued it's rotation, with no real change in it's momentum. "This Pumpkaboo is very shy."

Derek nodded, ever so slightly afraid, and tried his best not to move as the pokemon continued 'getting to know him' (although I would never understand how rotating repeatedly around an individual would allow you to know more about them!) After the better part of 5 minutes, it stopped, facing my friend directly, unmoving.

"Uh, well?" I whispered, afraid that I would startle it. "Does it like Derek? I really can't tell."

"Pumpkaboo are well-known to simply leave if they don't feel comfortable with a Trainer, in my experience." McKletchy responded, her voice just as hushed. "With this one, it took 15 minutes before it decided to just follow me, it really hasn't been caught yet, and I doubt it will ever want to."

A pokemon that hasn't even been caught yet? That left Pumpkaboo with an enormous amount of flexibility when it came to choosing it's trainer. It could simply turn and leave, couldn't it? As I thought about this, it moved ever closer to Derek's face, until it was just _inches _away, it's face impassive. I could hear Derek gasp silently, holding his breath in case he disrupted whatever the pokemon was doing.

"Pumpka."

It levitated in the air, above my friends head, and rested on his shoulder, staying there.

"Boo."

"I believe it has taking quite a fondness to you." McKletchy admitted, smiling to herself once more. "Pumpkaboo had never done that before, not even for me. It must have really gotten attached to you!"

"You think?" Derek replied, stars in his eyes. "That's great!"

"You want to keep it as your first Pokemon?"

"Of course!"

The old woman reached for yet another pokedex, offering it to the young trainer, just that she had done with me.

"Then I am happy to announce that you, too, have officially become a Pokemon Trainer! I wish you and your pokemon well on your journey, _both _of you!_"_

I could hear footsteps outside, a number of the remaining pokemon cheering in the face of new arrivals. We were the first to receive our pokemon, but it would just be the beginning of a long day for the McKletchy household. We received a number of provisionary equipment for our journey, all the basics that trainers would need: A map, two potions, a full heal, and two poke-balls each. It baffled me that the family would fork out so much money to accommodate every aspiring pokemon trainer, every year. Multiply the cost of those potions, of those poke-balls, and it would end up as a very expensive bill!  
I would ask why they offered new pokemon to new trainers every year, but that was a question for another time. Right now, I was glad that they did.  
Another question formed itself in my head, however, one that I only noticed when I turned to leave.  
'_Where was Mr. McKletchy?'_

* * *

My parents didn't take too kindly to the fate of my T-shirt.

"What happened to you? Are you ok? Are you hurt?" my Mom asked, again and again, as I rolled my eyes in annoyance.

"I'm _fine, _I just need a replacement shirt, nothing too catastrophic."

"But you chose a Fire pokemon? Are you sure you can control it? What happens if it decides to burn you again? Are you sure you don't need to see a doctor? Are you-"

"Yes, Mom! I'm _sure!"_

She was always fiercely overprotective, ever since I could remember. I bet she was dreading this day for years, and would continue to worry for years to come, now that I had the opportunity to travel the entire length and breath of the region. I had promised her that I would return to Shiro before I had even thought about making my way to Kalos, Unova, Sinnoh, Johto or Kanto, but I was happy with my lease of freedom, at least for now. Kazu was outside its poke-ball, nodding towards me with a mark of respect I had rarely seen from a pokemon, but then our family's Scyther was a very special pokemon indeed. I was certainly going to miss it.

"How about we take a look at your pokemon?" my Dad commented, handing me my bag, bursting at the seams with clothing and supplies. " What kind of pokemon did the McKletchy family have this time?"

"Mostly from the Johto and Kalos region?" I answered spontaneously, actually unaware as to what pokemon came from which region, I was far too engrossed in finding a Fire-Type for that. " I got a Cyndaquil, it was the only Fire-Type I could find."

I released my pokemon before me, activating the poke-balls central button, Cyndaquil forming before us in a flash of light. It scratched the ground, sniffing for something, and turned to face me.

"It's adorable!" my Mom feverishly confessed, reaching out her hand to stroke it.

"No! Don't do that!"

My warning was received just in time. No sooner as my Mom retracted her hand, Cyndaquil yawned loudly, flame extruding from it's back immediately.

"It's only a couple of months old, It has to be taught how to control itself around other people." I admitted, bending down to pick the little guy up in my arms. " If I hold him like this, it's perfectly ok. No tickling, though. I learned about _that _the hard way!"

"Oh my..." was all my mother could say, before she smiled, mostly for show, I guessed. " Well I'm glad you're happy, and I hope Derek was happy with his pokemon, as well?"

"He's just going to get his things, I'm going to meet him outside the city. He managed to get a Pumpkaboo. He wanted a Ghost-Type, so he's delighted, as you would probably guess!"

Kazu gazed off in the polluted distance, visibly agitated with the quality of the air around it. Officials were already making their way towards the local power station, reading to repair the massive chimney that was Shiros focal point, hopefully eradicating the smog and pollution along with it. The forests surrounding the city was beginning to deteriorate. Dad noticed this, returning his Scyther inside his poke-ball. I did the same with Cyndaquil, ensuring that the little guy wouldn't get sick from the fumes overhead.

"You need anything, we're just a phone call away." he assured me, placing his hand on my shoulder, initiating a Father-Son bonding moment. "It's going to be tough, being a trainer, and the first couple of days are going to be the hardest, but you will start to get used to things, and sleeping outside will become second nature. When you come back to Shiro, the air will be much cleaner, and you can let your pokemon outside more often. Best of luck, son."

"T...thanks, Dad." was all I could say, secretly happy that he had placed enough trust in me to wish me well. I was going to make him proud.  
I was going to make _both _my parents proud.

"I better go meet up with Derek, I'll call you tonight! I love you!"

I turned and ran towards my friends house, as my parents waved me on with tear-filled eyes, their son following in their footsteps.

My companion was just outside the edge of the city, his Pumpkaboo resting on his shoulder, smiling but frozen in place. The stretch of trees surrounding us gave way to reveal a well-worn path, hidden from obvious sight.

"This is a shortcut to Kazuki Town." he assured me, knowing that I had expected to take the route all the other trainers had chosen, making their way from the city gates. Kazuki Town was a 5-mile hike, which roughly equated to two-and-a-half hours of walking. Thankfully, it had just turned 10 in the morning, so we had plenty of time to make it there, and sleep in a hostel for the night.

"Sounds good." I replied, once again releasing my Cyndaquil before my feet, the pokemon taking in its new surroundings, once again sniffing at the ground.

"Think of a nickname for him yet?" Derek questioned, glancing at his pokemon as it floated around aimlessly, growing tired of staying in one place. "I'm having trouble coming up with one myself, I mean, its name already sounds pretty awesome, but I was thinking along the lines of 'Ghostrick'? What do you think?"

Short, spooky, fun. I liked the name a lot.

"I think it's perfect."

"Ghostrick!" Derek called, hoping his pokemon would answer to it's new name. Thankfully, it did, returning to its trainer's side.

"Pumpkaboo! Boo!"

Cyndaquil, however, would be more difficult to name, at least for me. I was no good at coming up with anything resembling originality, but I didn't want to chose anything overly representational, such as 'Pyro'. If I was going to name it, it would have to be something catchy, instantly recognizable.

"How about 'Rex'? " my friend suggested, as we trekked towards the path, finding ourselves buried in the masses of undergrowth from the trees above. Blooming daises and posies swayed freely back and forth, a light, fresh breeze following us, forcing the grass beyond to dance in the same careless manner, as three Wurmple could be seen crawling on their little legs, on their way to their next destination.

"I'm not too sure I like that name." I replied honestly, looking back to see that my pokemon was effortlessly keeping pace. It seemed to enjoy the casual morning stroll, despite the amount of effort it must have taken to keep up. "I was thinking more along the lines of 'Quil', after 'Quilava'? or maybe 'Ty', after 'Typholosion'."

"Ty! Definitely Ty!"

Derek's immediate response made me laugh. I was verging towards choosing that particular name, myself. I was glad my friend thought the same thing.  
Great minds think alike, after all.

"Hey! You there! Stop!"

We faced the owner of that voice, caught completely by surprise! Someone had managed to sneak up on us while we were in the middle of our conversation. The girl was older than we were, easily 16 or 17, her long blond hair reaching as far as her ankles. Her green eyes traced us, determined and cold. She wore a frilly dress that simply couldn't match its wearer's description, making her resemble 'Alice'.  
How ironic, it seemed we had stumbled into _her_ Wonderland.

"You are going to battle me. Right now." she continued, holding two poke-balls in between her pale fingers.

* * *

**I would like to thank "BrianLovesAlissaNalissa123" for putting up with me submitting drafts of my chapter to him, and coming up with ideas when it came to giving Cyndaquil and Pumpkaboo their personality traits, as well as describing aspects of Shiro city and the route the Alex and Derek are currently in. A very creative writer who specializes in Pokemon, take a look at his page if you're interested. **

**Reviews are, of course, welcome!**


	3. Chapter 3 - Kazuki's Aura

**This chapter was written on a tablet, so there may be spelling errors, and the structure of the story is not how I would like it to be, it'll be improved on tomorrow, but here's the chapter itself, hope you enjoy!**

**Also, I am ready to accept OC's, if any of you would like to contribute? Characters will be added within 3 chapters, so if you don't find yours in the next chapter, more than likely they will appear in the next.**

**-Character name:**

**-Age: ( minimum age 13 )**

**-Personality & description:**

**-New trainer or not ( did they receive their pokemon on the same day as Alex and Derek?)**

**- OC's Pokemon & it's characteristics:**

**-Hometown: ( My region is called Citrio, and so far I have only come up with Shiro city and Kazuki town, if your character is from this region, feel free to come up with a name of a town or city.) **

**-Companion or rival?: ( I would like some antagonists in my story, as rivalry between trainers will replace any 'Team' criminal organizations ) **

**If you have any questions, feel free to PM!**

**Danny Power & his Broken Sky**

* * *

She was completely serious, that spelt trouble!

Neither Derek or I moved, our new foe standing her ground, impassive. I had never seen her before, so she wasn't a resident of Shiro, that much I knew. It didn't explain why she was here, however.

"I ain't got all day." She continued, both poke-balls resting in her hands, just waiting to be deployed.

" You're not a new trainer, are you?" I reasoned, holding Ty in my arms immediately, away from her reach. " We just got our Pokemon, and we're not looking for a fight."

"And besides, we have places to see, people to meet, a schedule to maintain." Derek finished, turning his back towards her, prompting me to do the same.

"I'm _sorry, _but newbies like you need to learn the meaning of the word respect!"

Her capsules landed on the ground, both poke-balls releasing identical Machokes before her, instinctively moving in front of her. There was simply no way either of our Pokemon could compete against them!

"Are you completely serious?" I was quick to accuse, the ever-present weight of fear pressing down against me. " Why are you challenging rookie trainers to battle with you, when you know you're just going to win? Why don't you pick on a trainer your own size!"

Ty squirmed in my arms, agitated, which could only mean...

I allowed the Pokemon to leap from my hands, landing on the ground as its back began to shoot flame. That was good, I was beginning to understand the tell-tale signs, now. Our opponent simply smiled, answering my question with a shrug.

"Because I prefer a slaughter to a battle, that's why."

Both her Machokes advanced slowly, utterly terrifying as they towered over us easily. Both of us backtracked automatically in response, unable to do anything else. She noticed this, smirking with confidence, moving alongside her pokemon.

" You're not afraid of a girl, now are you?"

" Ghostrick, use hypnosis. " Derek whispered, pleading towards his Pumpkaboo, still nestled on his shoulder. The Ghost-Type simply stared at it's enemies, unable, or unwilling, to fulfill his trainers wishes.

"Silly trainers, you don't even know what your pokemons move-set is? This is going to be even easier than I thought." Our enemy cooed, her blond hair swaying in the wind. Both Machokes were now within our reach, they could simply grab us if they wanted to!

"Aura! What are you doing?"

I turned to face the new sound, once again startled. Derek did the same, unaware of where this new voice was coming from, right up until we saw yet another teenager move towards us. He appeared roughly the same age as our new 'acquaintance', perhaps a year or so older, his black hair combed back, his eyes gazing at nothing but the girl.

"You have no right to be here, Aura, and to battle new trainers? They haven't left the city, yet, and here you are, pestering them!"

"Dear Jack. How long has it been? What brings you around these parts?"

Their conversation confused me. They knew each other, that much was obvious, but why both of them stood here didn't make sense, as neither of them were native to Shiro, or even to some of the neighboring towns, I'd bet. Jack threw his own poke-ball towards the grassy undergrowth, his Pidgeot facing Aura's pokemon. Neither of those pokemon where native here, could both trainers have originated from Kanto? If so, they were a very long way from home.

Aura was the first to give, returning her Fighting-Types, turning to leave, without leaving another word for any of us to decipher. It took just a second, and then she was gone.

"What just happened?"

Derek's question didn't faze 'Jack', who was also moving away, back the way he came.

"Wait!" I added, chasing after him, my Cyndaquil in my hands.

"Stay back."

The Pidgeot swooped in front of me, holding it's wings outstretched, blocking my view of it's trainer.

"We'll meet again, soon, I bet, but for now your best bet is to keep moving, in case she changes her mind and chases you down again."

The Flying-Type soared into the air, its trainer vanishing into nothing but echoes. Where did he go? The forest was incredibly dense, I was amazed how any trace of sunlight was making its way through at all, casting shadows against bark. The breeze picked up, and with it, the familiar stench of smog and soot. I wasn't as far from Shiro as I would have liked. Derek and Pumpkaboo were right behind me, both of them puzzled by what had happened.

"Very strange." He whispered, what just happened no doubt sinking into his mind, just as confused as i was. He shook his head, before regaining his composure, reaching for his map. " It says here that Kazuki Town is roughly 5km away from where we are, so we'll arrive before 1, if we keep moving. Then we can find a place to stay for the night, and train our pokemon up a bit, what do you think?"

I nodded, as good a plan as any, and reached into my own bag, hoping my parents, both very seasoned pokemon trainers in their own right, had left me something particularly special, something to help me along my way.

Nothing.

I was left with §5000, which I had saved for the entire year. It was substantial, but I was going to need an alternative way of generating income if I was to afford food and drink for any extended period of time. Instantly, I began to think of how to conserve my money, I understand an overnight stay in Kazuki's motels would cost around §500-750 per night, seriously cheap, but a consistent drain on my resources.

" How much money have you got?" I asked, as we soon made our way towards a glistening waterfall, showing no sign of corruption from Shiro's recent deterioration in it's air quality.

§4500, it was all I could save."

§9500 between the both of us, not bad, and I had an idea.

"Hear me out, but I was wondering, what if we bought a tent? That way, we could pitch up and sleep wherever we want, and we wouldn't have to pay so much for sleeping in hostels?"

Derek scratched his chin, pondering.

" I...guess that's a good idea." He reasoned, looking for something that was awry with this concept, finding none. " But if it's OK with you, would you mind if we bought individual tents? I would like a little bit of privacy, I know how much you snore at night!"

"I do not snore!" I was quick to defend myself, grinning. " That was ONE sleepover! You can't judge my sleeping condition based on one night!"

"And yet here I am, judging!" He responded, laughing so loud a pair of Wurmple scattered for cover, startled. " Individual tents would come out cheaper, but you may have just saved us a ton of cash! I should have thought of this myself."

"I know, I just thought to myself, 'What would Derek do?'"

"Sometimes, just sometimes, I can understand your sarcasm!" He retaliated, nudging me on the shoulder before he scooped towards a miniature pool, where the rush of water made it's way below. He watched a number of survival videos, it was his thing, and the first thing he always mentions was this: Always refill your water supply whenever possible. Unfortunately, I had yet to touch my bottle of water, so this was going to have to be a wasted opportunity for me. Hills beckoned before us, all sheltered in nothing but trees, impossible to make out any outline of the town we were aiming for. The beaten track was enough to keep us heading in the right direction, this must be a popular route for walkers and cyclists. It made me wonder why none of the other starting trainers decided to take this particular path. True, it was relatively quiet, but it was indicated on the map, and it wasn't like it was top-secret, either. Ty was beginning to show signs of fatigue, and I carried the little guy in my arms, feeling it's frame expand and contract under heavy breathing. My pokemon had enough exercise for one day, it was still just a toddler.

"How's Ghostrick doing?" I asked, as my companion finished refilling his water supply, beckoning us to continue. pumpkaboo responded by floating towards me, oscillating around me, a smile on its face. I had no idea if the Ghost-Type ate, or would need anything to sustain it at all, in fact. It was a good thing I wasn't its owner, then. One grass-covered hill successfully maneuvered, the ground was beginning to become a little more level, and minute after minute passed as the two of us made good progress, only stopping for a quick bite to eat at the stroke of midday. It was beginning to get ever-warmer, even with the cover of the trees. I wasn't looking forward to the direct sunlight. I thought about Aura and Jack, a complete mystery to me. What did he mean when he said 'We'll meet again, I bet'? Was he going to actively search for us?

"There! I see it!" Derek announced, pointing his finger towards our destination, now visible as the cover of the forest began to subside. Kazuki Town, as it's name suggested, was heavily influenced by Japanese culture, many of it's buildings constructed of nothing but wood, delicately styled in a simplistic manner. Eventually, the rocky terrain was replaced with smooth, cobbled paths, a welcome change for my tired feet. The sun was now almost directly over our heads, pulsing down on us, far too hot for comfort. As soon as we made it towards the entrance, we could tell that it was incredibly busy, a number of trainers and locals moving from street to street, many of them advancing towards the poke-marts. If we didn't hurry, what we needed may soon be out of stock!

"You go to the poke-mart, stock up on food for our pokemon, and more potions." I explained. " I'll go and find those tents ASAP. Meet you at the pokemon center.

Derek simply nodded, disappearing into the crowd immediately, catching on to what I was saying.

The town had always celebrated the day when trainers received their first pokemon, many of it's own residents becoming trainers for the first time, as was the case in every other place of residence in the region. Unlike Shiro, however, Kazuki had made the occasion into an event, decorations filling every square inch of space imaginable, food stalls occupying the center, with activities such as face-painting visible throughout the town. It was much more festive than it was back home! I made it into the lifestyle store, placing my Cyndaquil inside its poke-ball just before I stepped inside. The last thing I wanted was a potential fire starting, and the enormous bill for damages that would soon follow. As I feared, a number of trainers were already present, and I had to push through a sizeable number of them as I made my way upstairs, sighing with relief as I gazed at exactly what I was looking for. The tents were small, yet could accommodate up to 2 people, according to a handy, and optimistic, brochure. It took a quick scan of the large room to determine that these were the smallest we could acquire, purchasing 2 of them there and then. At §3000, it was a steep initial payment, but one that would repay itself eventually. Satisfied, I made my way outside - and was met with an ongoing battle.

The crowd surrounding it made it difficult to see, but I shoved and pushed to the front of the action, witnessing a Mime Jr and a Hoothoot square off against each other, both participants already covered in scratches and bruises. I had caught the battle at the ending stages, much to my disappointment.

"Hoothoot, tackle on last time!" It's trainer commanded, vaguely recognizable to me, a resident of Shiro.

His pokemon charged, utterly determined, but was simply side-stepped by it's opponent, who didn't even need it's trainers input.

"Pound." Mime Jr's owner responded, much more calm and collected than his adversary, and was rewarded as his pokemon struck Hoothoot across the cheek, the sound audible even to those at the back of the crowd. It looked like the Flying-Type had already sustained more than one of these attacks , and collapsed to the ground, unconscious. Everyone cheered, except for the losing opponent, carrying his pokemon towards the center, crying gingerly. I frowned, watching as the Victor was celebrated, while the loser was completely ignored, no sympathy presented to him whatsoever.

That wasn't what pokemon battles were about.

Derek found me as I traveled to the center myself, carrying multiple bags.

"We're good for a month!" He announced confidently, smiling ever-so- gleefully. " The potions were 2-for-1! So I made sure to stock up, and I managed to buy some poke-balls, so we would have them in reserve if we wanted to go and capture some around here."

"Awesome. I got the tents, so our hospitality is covered."

Kazuki was an interesting town. I had traveled here with my parents often enough to have a faint understanding of where everything was. A large, ancient tower was it's focal point, attracting a number of tourists. It was sealed off, the structure unable to support the average person any longer. Now, it was simply a very large, very fragile monument to times gone by. Just beyond it, and of much more interest to us, stood the local Gym, our main target.

"So what time-frame do we have here?" I asked, acutely aware that we had not planned anything like this yet! I had almost expected to just show up, defeat the gym leader, and be on our merry way. A number of our counterparts must have agreed, pairs of trainers making their way towards the building, forming a queue outside it's door.

I was quietly confident that none of them would succeed.

"The leader's name is Mitikairu." Derek explained, local knowledge as frighteningly sharp as possible. " He specializes in Water pokemon, and only uses one when battling new trainers, a Dewott. It'll be tough to beat, I bet, but Ghostrick has an advantage. It's part Grass-Type."

His Pumpkaboo smiled cheerfully, expecting the battle.

My Cyndaquil, however, was at a distinct disadvantage, to the point where I knew using it in battle was only going to end in failure. I was going to need a Grass-Type pokemon. Good, a strategy, I knew what I was doing, now.

"We have all the time in the world!" Derek continued, reaching for a pamphlet, the pokemon stadium ever-present n the front cover. "It says here that the Citrio pokemon league will begin in 7 months time, we're well ahead of schedule! I think we should take a week to train our pokemon, and challenge Mitikairu then?"

"Sounds good." I responded, happy with the plan.

As soon as I said this, a trainer left the gym, utterly depressed. The first victim, and the first of many.

I was glad I was not in his position, not just yet, anyway.

* * *

The night sky was beautiful, much more so than it was back home. Stars were effortlessly twinkling far above, so many and yet so unique from each other. We decided to set up camp outside the town's perimeters, far from the noise and the crowds. We had decided to call it a night pretty early, get up at the crack of daybreak, and begin our training. Both Ty and Ghostrick were chasing after each other, my Cyndaquils fire allowing me to keep an eye on him. My pokemon had generously helped us start a campfire, its flames illuminating our encampment.

"I was waiting for this for a long time." Derek commented, eating a marshmallow he had made by the fire. " it's nice, not having to live with my parents! They were always so strict! I couldn't date, according to them, how weird is that!"

" Because oh- so -many girls were just falling at your feet!" I replied with a grin. " I'm not exactly sure if your parents were the reason why you haven't gotten a girlfriend!"

This hit a nerve, and I loved it!

"Well at least I wasn't dating Karen for 10 minutes!" He was quick to respond, making me laugh.

"We never went out, she kissed me, and I told her she was gross!"

No offence to Karen, but she was a bit too...emo, it wasn't my thing. Of course Derek would bring that up again!

"We all make mistakes!" He continued, before gazing at the stars above us, suddenly becoming more serious. " I wonder what it must be like, when you stop traveling, and live in one place, must be boring after all the adventures. "

"My parents told me that once they found each other, they fell in love, and wanted to stay in Shiro." I replied, retelling the story they told me when I asked how they gave up traveling. " But we've only just begun our exploring, so let's not think about that yet, we have years ahead of us!"

Despite my light-hearted reply, Derek remained contemplative, staring towards Kazuki, and the festivities that continued there.

"I wish I could travel forever, you know? I mean, I spent most of my life looking at pokemon trainers on TV, and dreaming that one day I could join them, and now that I am one, I just don't want it to end, that's all."

"Well then, you're going to have to get used to traveling with me, Derek! If you're not giving up adventure, then neither am I!"

It was great that I could laugh with Derek, and talk about these kind of things. We were 13, but both of us were aware of the future. We both understood that university and 'life' would have to be met at some point, and as adults, we were expected to settle down at some point, get jobs, and become a whole lot less interesting. I never wanted this, and neither did my best friend.

"You promise, never to stop exploring?" He whispered, holding out his arm, a handshake just waiting to happen. I accepted, shaking his hand immediately.

" I promise!"


	4. Chapter 4 - Along came Amy

Rain was trickling down the protective lining of my tent, making it infuriatingly hard to sleep. It was 5am, far too early to be awake, even by my standards! I was going to have to get used to sleeping like this, but the thought of a real-life bed, with an actual roof over my head, made me question my genius idea of purchasing tents in the first place. My Cyndaquil was safely nestled inside it's poke-ball, oblivious to what has happening around it. Despite the cold weather, I was beginning to get a little too hot inside my sleeping bag, so I discarded it, lying on top of it, simply staring at the few visible droplets I could see, charging towards the ground.

This was not how I envisioned the start of my pokemon journey.

I had no idea how Derek was faring. Knowing my friend, he would have virtually no trouble sleeping outside like this. Derek never had a problem with anything. Where was Ghostrick? It didn't have it's own poke-ball, so it must be hovering somewhere. Was it affected by the rain? Ghost-Types were utterly mysterious to me! Sleep wasn't going to come to me anytime soon, so I simply reached for my Cyndaquil, wrapping my fingers around the sphere that contained him. Unbelievably, it felt warm to the touch, as if the little guy was warming it from within.

Or was that just my imagination?

Mitikairu. I had heard about him from rumors back home, a powerful trainer who spent the majority of his life in Johto, before making his way to Citrio. Some said he is a descendant of an Emperor from feudal times, so Kazuki must have been the perfect location for him to settle, beginning a pokemon gym. So far, not very many trainers were able to beat him, even those who used Electric or Grass-Types. He must have a strategy against such obvious tactics, I wouldn't have expected anything less from him. I thought about these tactics right up until I closed my eyes once again, falling asleep despite the ever-present annoyance of the rain.

* * *

"Wake up! Rise and shine! We got work to do and you're not sleeping through this fine morning!"

I hated Derek right now.

It seemed like I had just closed my eyes for 5 minutes, and suddenly it was bright, bird pokemon chirping happily nearby, a scene far removed from last night's storm. I unzipped the entrance of my tent, utterly sleep-deprived, and found my companion staring right back at me, as energetic and hyper as he always was.

"If you're taking something that you're not telling me, I would like to have some." I mumbled, almost tripping over my own feet. I was never a morning person, and I was up bright and early yesterday morning simply because I was able to sleep early to compensate. Plus, I had a warm, plushy bed to lie on, and not the cold hard ground, separated by just a few layers of fabric.

"Afraid not, just excited for our training today! Day 1!"

His optimism, although infectious, was lost to my ears, when all I wanted to do was to fall back asleep again. That, and to find a bite to eat. I was getting hungry, and there was no point in training on an empty stomach.

"I'm going to grab some breakfast in town, you coming along with me?"

Derek nodded intensely, already beginning to trek the short distance between us and Kazuki, forcing me to follow suit. Behind us, Ghostrick floated aggressively towards Ir's trainer, landing on top of his shoulder, it's usual resting place. Kazuki was still full of trainers, but many of the locals were by now beginning to remove the festive decorations, returning to their everyday lives. Without them, each and every building looked incredibly bare, almost fragile-looking, the colors I had seen yesterday disappearing entirely, instead viewing the town as a mixture of brown and gray. A nearby cafe was quickly sourced, both of us rushing towards the smell of scones and coffee. It was packed, and by more than just people. This must be the only place in town that allowed pokemon inside, and many different types were busy scurrying around the oak-laden floor, making waiters jobs an absolute nightmare. We managed to secure some seats, sitting across from each other, staring at the menus. I could only think of coffee, richly roasted, but of course, Derek knew me better than absolutely anyone else on the planet!

"No caffeine! It will dehydrate you!"

"It will also wake me up!" I whispered by the time a waiter, evidently exhausted, found us, trying his best to appear happy and collected.

"And what can I get you two?"

We suggested scones, and I slipped in a cappuccino before my companion could do anything about it, and our waiter was sent on his way, almost tripping over a rogue Torchic. It was a native to Hoenn, or was it Unova? I struggled with pokemon geography sometimes. What I could remember, however, was that Cirtio was, and remains, the only region with no native pokemon to it's name. I could remember distinctly our teacher talking about this phenomenon, and that many of the world's top professors were hard at work attempting to discover just why this was the case. True, we were never short of pokemon here, but they had all originated from somewhere else, and had simply migrated here a long time ago.

It was puzzling.

"Alex! Wake up!"

I could feel my head slipping from my hands, and I caught myself about to doze off, snapping to attention immediately. Our waiter arrived just in time, providing us with breakfast. Delicious scones, with a hefty amount of melted butter, made me drool in absolute anticipation, my cappuccino just waiting to disappear!

"So, day 1." Derek continued as I scoffed down my plates contents, ignoring any pretense of manners. " I think we should look for pokemon today. Maybe we can try the route we came from, and also the path that leads to Hale Town. If we had more than one pokemon, we would immediately have an advantage against Mitikairu, what do you think?"

"Excellent idea as always!" I replied between generous bites of my breakfast, the ravenous hunger killed immediately. "Let's try the Hale route, it would be interesting to see what pokemon are up there. Also, we should train our existing pokemon, perhaps?"

"But of course! That was a given in the first place."

We payed our tip, and made our way outside, directly into yet another incredibly humid day. In complete contrast to last night, there was no clouds visible against the pale-blue sky, which gave the sun plenty of room to bare down on all of us, making it much too warm for this time of year. I released my Cyndaquil from it's poke-ball, deducing that he would prefer higher temperatures. I retrieved some pokemon food from my bag, kneeling down to the little guy, feeding him one-by-one.

"Quil! Cynda!"

The fire on its back streamed into life, completely safe now that we were out in the open. I smiled, feeding him until it shook its head in refusal, scampering into my arms, beckoning for me to lift it up.

" Oh no..."

I didn't understand why Derek was suddenly so afraid, but I faced the direction he was pointing, and understood immediately.

It was that girl, 'Aura'.

She stormed through the city center, evidently annoyed, her hair catching the sunlight impossibly well. Almost instantly, she bumped into a trainer, a kid no older than we were.

"Oh! Sorry!" He announced, holding his hands up in apology.

All she did was stand and stare, reaching into her pocket.

"Oh, you will be, no reach for your pokemon! We're having a battle!"

As soon as this was said, surrounding locals and trainers alike flocked towards them, blocking our field of vision, which had to change! I grabbed Derek's T-shirt, forcing him to come along with me, my pokemon safe in my free hand, Ghostrick perched on his shoulder. We made it relatively near to the front of the crowd by the time her opponent released his pokemon, a Chikorita. It was the first time I had seen this pokemon with my own eyes! It was incredibly rare, even in it's native Johto! No matter how rare it was, however, I knew it simply couldn't provide a challenge against Aura's Machokes. I was surprised, to the point of shock, when she decided not to use either of them, instead releasing yet another pokemon before her, sickeningly smug as she did so.

It was a Charizard, another Kanto pokemon! No doubt she must have originated from there. No one else in Citrio had this pokemon. Her opponent took a step back in fear, his pokemon doing the same as they collectively stared at their opponent, easily towering over them. Aura simply smiled, revealing a bracelet wrapped around her right hand.

"Guess what I'm about to do." She purred, her bracelet beginning to glow in response. Before her, her Charizard swooped into the air, glowing as intensely as the sun, disappearing into it's own orb of light. It was too bright to gaze at, and all of us were forced to shield our eyes, unable to make out anything!

That was Mega-Evolution! There was no way anyone could retaliate from that, especially a rookie trainer!

A dark, black-cladded dragon burst into view, more than twice as large as the pokemon that replaced it, blue-tinted flame escaping from its mouth. This spectacle drew yet more members of the crowd, until the entire town must have been watching!

I doubt even 'Jack' could have stopped her now.

"Wait!" I yelled, forcing myself through the crowd, seperating myself from Derek. I placed myself firmly in front of Chikorita, and its trainer, squaring off directly in front of Mega-Charizard and its owner. Fear assaulted me as soon as I did this, and I almost decided to retrace my steps, apologize, and bury myself in the crowd once again. Almost.

"Oh, it's you again." She responded, slightly bemused. "While I find it a pleasure to see you again, I'm afraid my Charizard here is going to burn something today. I personally don't care what that is, but if your volunteering yourself, it's your funeral."

Her pokemon chuckled, and even this simple expression released a heavy amount of flame from its mouth, beckoning into the sky. Put simply, her Charizard had more firepower then it knew what to deal with. Literally. Ty was still, frozen in fear in my hands as it stared at the much bigger, much deadlier, much more powerful Fire-Type, almost definitely questioning its trainer's motives.

"Well you're going to have to burn me, then." Came my response, stunning even myself in the process.

For a few moments, I could hear the gasps of the crowd, muttered whispers making their way throughout, obviously questioning my sanity in the process. The trainer I was defending was frozen in place, unable to move, to come up with a response of his own. Aura, too, was slightly unsure of what to do with herself, now that I (hopefully) called her bluff. Mega-Charizard was decidedly uncomfortable, just waiting for its trainer's instructions. Eventually, after a millennia of waiting, she reacted...returning her pokemon within it's poke-ball.

"You've got guts. The next time we run into each other, though, and I'll spill them on the floor!"

She took off in a hurry, storming past me, providing a menacing glare to the trainer she had originally challenged, making off towards Hale Town. I severely doubted she had any interest in challenging Mitikairu, and I severely doubted she would have any trouble defeating even him!

Derek rushed towards me, punching me dead-center in my arm, instantly rendering it numb.

"You idiot! She could have _roasted_ you by now! You're lucky, boy, lucky!"

"And what, it was OK to leave that guy burn? Didn't think so! "

The trainer was gone, hurriedly rushing towards the pokemon center, his Chikorita nowhere to be seen. People were congratulating me left and right, which I ignored, hoping that guy was alright.

And hoping that Aura didn't have an agenda up her sleeve.

* * *

The route to Hale Town was at the foot of a number of steeply-inclined mountains, each one of them capped with a layer of perpetual snow. The town itself was located at the very top of one of them, and we would require the use of a cable car to reach it. Even arriving at the base of these mountains, it instantly became just a little bit cooler. Not by much, but enough for me to notice, and wish I hadn't left a jumper by my tent. My Cyndaquil was sniffing at the ground, searching for...something. Derek and his Pumpkaboo were not far behind, beginning their own search for wild pokemon. Tall grass stood in our way, almost up against my waist, and a number of trees provided an ideal spot for pokemon to relax in the shade.

At least, that was the theory.

So far, no luck. I had traveled throughout every square centimeter of my chosen area, and nothing. Derek had no better luck, arriving to the came conclusion.

"Maybe pokemon don't live here." He shrugged, noticing the setting sun, the sky beginning to glow in incandescent bursts of orange. " We better head back, it'll be dark by the time we arrive in Kazuki."

It was a waste of a perfectly good day of training, and I sighed in defeat, ready to turn back.

A rustle in the grass startled me, as it did to my companion, both of us reaching for poke-balls. Cyndaquil growled at the movement, waiting to see which pokemon emerged from the grass. It was a pokemon I had never seen before, tiny compared to the rest of us, even Ty! The pokemon looked angry, the two of us no doubt disturbing it from sleeping for the night. It resembled an iceberg, with four miniature feet. It's yellow eyes focused on nothing but me, ready to charge, from the looks of things. I reached for my pokedex, the first opportunity I've had of using it.

_'Bergmite - The Ice-Chunk Pokemon._

_It blocks opponents' attacks with the ice that shields its body. It uses cold air to repair any cracks with new ice.' _

"It must have made its way from the mountaintops." Derek explained, Ghostrick floating to the ground, ready to initiate a fight. "This wouldn't have been its natural habitat, after all."

Ty landed on the ground before my feet, joining my companions' pokemon, providing us with a suitable advantage. Immediately, and without warning, Bergmite hurdled itself towards my Cyndaquil, far quicker than I would have assumed it would.

"Dodge it, and use Ember!" I cried, hoping and praying my pokemon had learned to use that maneuver.

Ty moved to the right, dodging its opponents move, spouting flame from its back, releasing a small stream of fire from its mouth. Bergmite was unable to do a thing about it, caught in the middle of the attack. The fire continued to burn long after the attack had finished, the Ice-Type running in circles as it continued to melt, its movements getting slower and slower.

"A poke-ball, Alex!" Derek shouted, pointing to my pockets.

I nodded, releasing a free capsule, enlarging it. I dashed closer to the pokemon, hoping to get a clean shot before Bergmite recovered. I threw it, hitting the Ice-Type square on the head as it disappeared in a flash of light, the poke-ball collapsing to the ground. It began to shake uncontrollably, the pokemon within struggling to escape. All I could do was stand there, completely tense, forced to wait. Derek moved towards me, looking decidedly nervous, neither of us witnessing a pokemon captured before.  
The poke-ball clicked audibly, its movements ceased.  
I caught it!

"Yes!" I declared, reaching for my new pokemon, wiping the dirt from it. Bergmite was mine!

"Congratulations amigo!" Derek announced, nudging me on the shoulder. "The next pokemon we meet is mine though, fair is fair, right?"

"Completely!" I replied, registering Bergmites' information on the pokedex, marking it off as 'caught'. I had absolutely no idea on how to look after it. Thankfully, the pokedex also came with the pokemons' habitat, preferred choice of food, and instructions on how to look after it.

"That was a nice catch."

Someone was watching us, catching us completely by surprise! This was starting to become a pattern.  
The trainer was short, with long, flat black hair, a side-swept bang across her right eye. As she moved closer, I noticed a single pink highlight, impossible to miss. Her skin was darker than ours, lightly brown in tone, with indescribably pretty bright-blue eyes!

"I would have liked that pokemon, you just don't see many of them around these parts. Bergmites are rare here, even up there." she continued, pointing towards the mountaintops above us.

"W-why thank you." was all I could blurt out, unable to think of anything else to say, dumbstruck.

"You'll have to excuse my friend here." Derek butted in, much more confident than I was. "We're pretty new to this 'trainer' thing, I'm Derek, this is my friend Alex."

"I'm Amy, Amy Stavros. A pleasure to meet you." she announced, smiling incandescently to herself. "So tell me, I'm looking for a certain individual who moved through here recently. She has blond hair, terrible attitude..."

"Aura?" I muttered. "She went through this way, presumably to go to Hale Town, there's no other destination on this route, is there?"

"Of course there is! Amy responded snappily, before quickly regaining her composure. "You see, my friend has a brother who just became a pokemon trainer. He had a Chikorita, if you recall. I noticed you were the one who stood up to defend him, so how about we team up and take her down, once and for all?"

It was a terribly large proposition, considering how powerful a trainer Aura was. In all honesty, I was ready to say 'no' there and then, turning to leave towards our camp without a seconds notice.  
Derek, unfortunately, decided to speak for the both of us.

"Of course we'll help! She just looks like a piece of bad news, We'd be delighted to help!"

"Yeah, sure, of course!" I added just a split second too late, watching our new acquaintance giggle to herself.

"Don't worry, I won't let you newbies get hurt, luckily you're dealing with a seasoned pokemon trainer right here!" she exclaimed, pointing towards the end of the path, which really lead nowhere in particular. She strode calmly towards it, where the ground finished and the mountain began. Brushing aside a piece of ivy, it revealed an entrance!

"And I've got unfinished business with _her!" _She concluded, making her way inside, beckoning us to follow...

* * *

**Credit to 'BrianLovesAlissaNalissa123', for submitting 'Amy Stavros'. She will be a new regular character within the group. Reviews are, as always, incredibly welcome. Thank you for taking the time to read my story. **

**- Danny Power and his Broken Sky**


	5. Chapter 5 - Chasm Battle

Amy Stravos knew where she was going.  
This cave was dark, the kind of darkness that could easily hide a number of surprises, some more deadly than others. Thankfully, our new guide came prepared, handing us some torches for ourselves. There was steep drops to the left and right, plunging into black pits no amount of light could save you from. I could hear a frantic rush of water flow underneath us, which lead me to reasonably believe that if we were to fall, we would be swept away long before anyone could arrive to help...and I had no idea where we would be swept _to._

Best to keep my eyes firmly on the jagged path before me. No need to overreact and slip.

"What makes you think Aura came here?" Derek asked, his voice amplified within our hollow surroundings, echoed numerous times, never-ending.

"Because I know that the cable-cars have finished for the evening." Amy explained, pointing her light at what could have been movement, disappointed to find it was nothing but her imagination. " There was no way she was going to scale those mountains all by herself, so she would either have to turn back to Kazuki, and with the scene _she _caused, I would highly doubt that, or travel in here."

"What about her Charizard?" I argued. " It could easily carry her to Hale Town, right?"

"You have to understand that Hale Town is 8,000ft above sea level. The relative lack of oxygen would make flying there an enormously difficult task. I can guarantee you that if she tried, her Charizard would faint, and tumble all the way back to earth, and that's _including _its mega-evolved form...I don't know where she got her mega ring, or her Charizardite..."

"You two know each other?" I continued, hoping to form part of the back-story we were obviously missing.

"I knew her, alright. We were companions, me and her. She was obsessed with becoming the most powerful pokemon trainer, and we both came from Pallet Town, that's the first town you spot flying over Kanto, by the way. Things...got a little frosty between us."

I didn't want to ask. The thought of these two squaring off against each other was simply too frightening for me to comprehend right now, especially considering her threat towards me, specifically! Why did I have to be the hero and charge out in the middle of the battle like that?  
Amy's smile reminded me why. I stopped what could have been a massacre.  
We delved deeper, and I began to notice Ghostrick's attitude changing dramatically. Usually resolved, the Ghost-Type levitated from place to place, smiling fanatically.

"Pumpkaboo!"

The two hollowed 'eyes' within its pumpkin body glowed, providing much more light than all three of our flashlights could muster. Bathed in this new light, the cave transformed into a rainbow of colors, provided by many of the precious gems embedded into the limestone rock. It was transfixing!

"Great job Ghostrick!" its trainer congratulated, rushing towards the cavern's wall, rubbing his hand across it. "These must be worth a fortune! We're rich!"

"I wouldn't be so sure." Amy retaliated, shaking her head what the two of us like we were misbehaving children. " You see, this cave is private, so all of this belongs to the owner. We could be arrested for theft if we got caught, and even without that problem, best of luck trying to get those gems _out _of the rock. They're fused together. Now, let's keep going..."

"Wait!" I interrupted, not realizing that we were actually trespassing on _private property! "Who _owns this cave?"

"Why, Mitikairu, of course! Now let's keep moving. We wouldn't want to get caught now, either."

I gulped, suddenly and immediately regretting joining this expedition. So far, there was not one single incentive to keep my feet moving in front of the other. I sighed when Derek continued alongside her, his Pumpkaboo providing most of the light, which meant I had no choice but to continue.

'_Great. Just great.'_

Far from safe in the first place, this cave sported yet _more _harrowing drops, the path between them getting narrower and narrower by the second. We were forced into single-file, moving deliberately slowly in case we damaged the delicate foundation below our feet. If this path was to be eroded, we would be stuck in here, _very _bad news, no matter which way you looked at it! The earlier rainbow of gems faded into one singular color, blue light reflecting from Ghostrick's 'flash' technique.

"Tell your pokemon to hold back on the light. I think we're good for now." Amy recommended, reaching for her phone, holding it against the wall, looking for reception. Ghostrick's light abruptly switched off, and we were surrounded in a soft, blue-esque glow. Somehow, these rocks were providing light _themselves, _I had never heard of this phenomenon!

"How..." I whispered, my hand reaching for the light, hoping to touch the rocky cavern wall.

"It's unexplained." Amy answered, smiling in contentment as she typed a number of commands into her hand-held device. "But I've gotten some pretty useful information here, so at least I've something to walk away from here. Now, if we can just find her..."

I turned to Derek, confused. He simply shrugged, a confused look on his face. We made our way even deeper into the cave, and it felt like this place could stretch even further than I had imagined. The walls eventually became so narrow that simply moving from left to right was seen as an enormous struggle, the unnatural light ever-present. There was no way Aura would have gone to this much effort simply to...  
My thought was stopped dead in its tracks by the time we turned yet another uncomfortable corner, and were faced with an utterly enormous chasm, _much _larger than the rest of the cave put together. It was incredibly safe to assume that you could easily fit a full-size stadium in here! We must have been in the center of one of the mountains, hollowed out from within, exposing pillars upon pillars of rubies and sapphires, escalating from the ground in spikes. The domed ceiling was almost too far to see, and yet every square centimeter was fully illuminated in the same, beautiful blue glow. Bergmites were everywhere, unaware of our presence, or they simply didn't care.

'_So this is where my pokemon came from...'_

It was a pretty big place to hide, and Aura wasn't someone I was particularly fond of finding, yet Amy continued moving, making her way towards the center of this chasm. I released Ty and my own Bergmite from their poke-balls, both pokemon smiling cheerfully, keeping up alongside me.

"Where are you..." I could hear our new companion mutter, no less then three poke-balls in one hand, poised between her fingers.

So far, no success. We spent a sizable amount of time checking behind every dazzling pillar, every nook and cranny where the trainer could have hidden.

"She isn't here." Amy finally admitted to herself, grinding her teeth in clear anger.

"Are there any other tunnels that connect here?" Derek asked, his Pumpkabo floating upwards, hoping to get a better field of vision on behalf of all of us.

Before a fireball shot it out of the sky, forcing the pokemon to tumble towards the ground.

"Ghostrick!"

Derek reached for his pokemon, catching it in his arms, the Pumpkaboo charred.

"It was a bad idea for you to come here and follow me like this."

Aura made her way towards us, smiling, her Charizard swooping high in the sky.

"Well well, Amy Stravos, what brings you around these parts? I thought you were busy being a washed-up celebrity!"

Our travel companion turned red at this accusation, visibly agitated, and not willing to take it down lightly. She released one of her pokemon, an Umbreon, before her feet, the Dark-Type pokemon growling in defiance.

"Light it up." Aura commanded, and was immediately rewarded with her pokemon taking to the sky, releasing a jet of flame, heading straight towards us! All three of us made a run for it, Amy's Umbreon the quickest of us all, confidently side-stepping the attack, ready to initiate its own.

"Pursuit!" its trainer responded, her Umbreon leaping into the air at an incredible velocity, just as the Charizard was about to land. The Dark-Type collided against its prey, sending both of them spiraling to the ground.

"Crunch!"

Charizard suddenly began to thrash in pain, Umbreon sinking its fangs deep into its neck, again and again. Unfortunately, the larger pokemon's momentum was too great to keep it down, and it returned to its feet, forcing Umbreon to cease its attack. Amy's pokemon made its way back to its trainer, ready to start another round.

"Fire Blast!" Aura yelled, her echo frightening, as if there were multiple voices screaming at once! Her Charizard took to the sky again, _this _time pouring giant crucifixes of fire down upon its enemy. Like the last time, Umbreon dodged and swerved, left and right, escaping each and every strike with ease. The pokemon was light on its feet, every movement perfectly judged, as it needed to be in order to escape those attacks! Charizard continued with wave after wave of fire, scattering the wild Bergmite, scarring the ground beneath our feet.

"None of this is working!" Amy teased, losing all pretense of civility. "That was always your problem, you've become too powerful, and you expect to barge down anyone who opposes you! That trainer was a kid, _these _trainers are just kids, they won't help you become a pokemon master! Umbreon use Swift!"

Her Dark-Type jumped into the air, firing wave after wave of photon stars from the ring on its forehead, seemingly by magic. Many of the projectiles collided against Charizard's attack, many more struck the pokemon itself, clipping its wings, distracting it.

"_Shut up!" _Aura yelled, her eyes bulging, terrifying me to my very core! "I will _not _be lectured by a sniveling failure like yourself! It's time we finished this! Charizard! Mega-Evolution!"

Her pokemon landed beside its trainer, allowing its Charizrdite to glow dramatically, Aura's mega ring oscillating in response.

"Umbreon, Pursuit again!" its trainer commanded, desperate to stop the evolution before it even began.

Too late.

Aura's pokemon was once again surrounded by a wall of light, too piercing to look at directly, just as it was in Kazuki. When it inevitably faded, Mega-Charizard was present before us, taking to the air with casual abandon, far more relaxed than its pre-evolved counterpart.

"Wing Attack."

Umbreon tensed, ready to leap at a second's notice, but had barely enough time to react before it was struck by its opponent's wings, toppling to the ground immediately, struggling to get back on its feet. Mega-Charizard was unrelenting, striking again and again, simply refusing to allow its opponent some respite. No matter what Amy's pokemon attempted to do, it was hopelessly outmaneuvered by its opponent. By the 20th strike, Umbreon was covered in bruises and scrapes, unable to defend itself, unable to react, unable to move.

_Could _it move, now?

By the time Aura's Fire/Dragon- Type eased up, Umbreon was a collapsed mess on the ground, twitching nervously, its body tilted at unnatural angles.

"...Umbreon. _Umbreon!"_

Amy dashed towards her pokemon, shielding it from her opponent, busy smirking in the wake of her victory.

"How _dare _you! You think that you can just bully who you like, and not accept the consequences of what you've done?" she shouted, staring at Aura with enough intensity to turn her into stone. Her opponent simply smiled, her Mega-Charizard far from finished.

"Why, what consequences? Whose going to stop me?"

_"Me."_

A familiar voice, and one I recognized immediately.  
Jack made his way towards us, his face buried within his jacket, utterly mysterious. His eyes were the giveaway of any visible agitation, and he stared at nothing but Aura.

"I warned you what would happen if you meddled with rookie trainers again. What do you think you're doing in challenging them to battles you know you are going to win?"

"I'm flattered that you would follow me all this way, that you would _all _follow me like this, but don't you lecture me. I am teaching them the cruel reality of the real world, that pokemon and trainers alike can destroy you! I am doing them a _service!"_

Jack reached for a poke-ball of his own, refusing to tear away his gaze from Aura, deep in concentration.

"You know exactly what pokemon I will use against you, if you continue to do this. I will defeat you, comprehensively. Now I am giving you one last chance, and leave."

His voice faded into nothing but echoes, silence taking its place. Amy was tending to her Umbreon, on the verge of tears, returning the unconscious pokemon within its capsule. Me and Derek moved closer together, sub-conscious fear gripping both of us. Jack and Aura simply stared at each other, his earlier threat still hanging in the air. Eventually, she sighed, giving in.  
But why? Her Mega-Charizard was more powerful than anything I had ever seen before!  
Aura held yet another poke-ball in her hands, releasing a Kadabra from inside. I had never seen one up close, and I was surprised by how small it was, staring directly at Jack, holding its spoons in a defensive stance. Immediately, both trainer and pokemon was surrounded by a pink glow, Aura fading from view.

"I won't forget this. I won't forget any of you."

It just just a second longer, and she was gone, vanishing into thin air.

"I don't know what you are trying to do, but you're making a big mistake aggravating her." Jack stated, turning his back towards us, leaving. "I'm not going to be around every time she has you boxed into a corner. Remember that."

"Wait!" Amy cried, her poke-ball in her hand. " How do you know her? I've never met you, and I've known her since we were kids! Who are you?"

He didn't respond, disappearing back the way we came, leaving us stranded here.


	6. Chapter 6 - Training

"Here is your Umbreon! I have to say, your pokemon sustained a lot of injuries. My advice is to keep it from battling for at least a week, just in case."

We arrived at the pokemon center at the stroke of midnight, and sleep was definitely catching up with all of us. It was an anxious wait for Amy as she handed her pokemon to the care of an on-staff nurse, unable to sit down or relax. Derek was forced to carry his unconscious pokemon in his arms, still reeling from the effects of the burns it sustained. Both of them were worried, and all _I _could worry about were the two figures that we continuously ran into.

Jack and Aura.

I would fully admit that it was a stupid idea to follow her into that cave, and although Amy was clearly a skilled pokemon trainer, even she would have had trouble when faced with a mega-evolved opponent, as was demonstrated today. Aura was viciously powerful, but she was also _vicious, _period! Jack, on the other hand, appeared to be the polar opposite. Collected, reserved, and just a little _too _calm, he was arguably more threatening than his 'nemesis'. With time to kill, I pieced what I knew in my head, curious.

_'Aura and Amy come from Kanto. Aura and Amy had been friends, according to Amy, but then something happened...and she never knew about Jack, although Jack and Aura clearly know each other, as well...was Jack the 'something' that occured?...'_

Derek was exhausted but happy, finally receiving his Pumpkaboo from the same nurse, smiling in a comforting expression as she handed the Ghost-Type to him. I silently wondered how difficult it must be for those who worked here, to see pokemon suffering from all states of injuries, the same reactions hospital staff faced when they see how badly people can get hurt, as well.  
You never thought of _that _in the middle of a pokemon battle.

"Guess we're all set for the evening." I acknowledged as both of my companions left the waiting area, happy with their pokemons' health.

"It certainly looks like it..." Amy responded, reaching into her pocket, retrieving a small pair of glasses.

"Eev!"

I was stunned to see a little Eevee scamper around Amy's feet, yawning quietly to itself. For a brief second, I surveyed the rest of the center, attempting to distinguish its trainer. There was no-one else to be found.

"This little bundle of joy is mine!" Amy commented, spotting my confusion, reaching for her little pokemon. "I left it with Nurse Hickman for the day while we were off on our little 'adventure'. It hatched from an egg belonging to my Umbreon, and an Espeon from a dear friend of mine. I have him for the next three days, but I bet it misses its mommy, now don't you?"

I smiled as she tickled under her Eevee's chin, her pokemon squirming happily in her hands as she did this. I had seen an Eevee at the McKletchys, but this one was roughly half its size. It was no taller than a toddler.

"I'm going to crash here for the night, there's vacant beds available...say, you guys are both new trainers, right?" Amy asked, cradling her Eevee in her arms as it fought to stay awake.

The two of us silently nodded our heads in response.

"Well, it turns out I want to try and take on the Citrio Pokemon League as well, mind if I join you guys for a bit? I could help you learn the ropes of battling?"

I didn't even _need_ to turn to Derek, I could_ feel_ his eyes burn through me as my friend instantaneously concluded our decision for me. We were one and the same, me and him. Derek just happened to be the mouthpiece.

"Of course you can!" he rushed, a little too loudly within the confines of a sleepy center. "We need all the help we can get!"

"We definitely could." I forced myself to add, refusing to let Derek dominate the conversation. "I suppose we can bunk here too, seeing as it's free. Are you sure you wouldn't mind waiting on us? We still have to grab gym badges, and I've never battled before."

"Trust me, when I'm done with you two, you will be pokemon masters!" she continued, finding it impossible not to grin.

* * *

_"And here we have the 'Kazuki Tower', built to commemorate the lasting bonds between trainers and pokemon. Each floor was made to represent the three Citrio wars which took place in ancient times, with rumors that the third war had driven all of Citrio's native pokemon to extinction. "_

It was a frantically busy day in Kazuki Town, stalls as busy as ever, crowds pouring in from the entrance just as heavily as the day before. Guides could be seen everywhere, with varying ages of students, teaching them about the history of this town, and the region in general. I had been a part of this group last year, but found the extended history lesson pretty boring, expect for the '_native pokemon' _aspect. I had watched documentaries from the regions top scientists, who believed, in their professional opinion, that even if a war _was _the cause of wiping out entire pokemon species, it could not have been big enough to destroy _every _individual group of them. They had their arguments, and the show ended, as always, inconclusively.

'_Maybe I could become an Historian, or a Scientist. I'll have to get a job someday, so I might as well try and discover what just happened.'_

Derek and Amy were beside me, my best friend trading tips on how to battle effectively. I could only hear it as background noise, I was too busy thinking about what Citrios' pokemon would have looked like. It was humid today, and the sheer blanket of clouds above our heads ensured that the sun would be kept at bay, presenting a much more relaxed climate. I didn't feel the need to stay in the shade today, which made me feel happier.

"You have to understand, Pumpkaboo is not an overly aggressive pokemon. It relies on tactics rather than sheer force in order to defend itself in battle. I'm pretty sure your pokemon knows 'Confuse Ray' and 'Trick', so use them to your advantage, while you could use 'Razor Leaf' and 'Bullet Seed' as offensive attacks."

Amy's advice was pretty staggering, with even a pokemon expert like Derek taken aback by how much she knew about his pokemon.

"I learned this all from the Pokemon Academy, don't look so shocked." she added, smiling. As faint traces of sunlight broke through, her glasses turned completely dark, hiding her eyes instantly. "I actually have pretty competent knowledge of most pokemon."

"Looks like you've been replaced." I whispered, nudging Derek in the shoulders, hoping to wind him up. I could tell from his sour reaction that it worked.

"Humph!"

Our camp-site was left intact, although small pools of water could be seen on top of our tents. It was probably down to our poor construction, not the tents themselves, as the reason for this. I walked over to mine, shaking away last nights rainfall in seconds.

"You got your own tents? Nice." Amy commented, nodding in satisfaction, appreciating our little camp. "So, let's get straight to training, right? Mitikairu is going to be a tough opponent, so you better train up your pokemon. When do you guys want to battle him?"

"Preferably by this time next week." I answered, grabbing Bergmite's poke-ball. "But I think me and Derek agreed that the most time we would train would be 2 weeks. We don't want to get left behind by the other trainers."

"And why is that?" she responded, looking puzzled at my statement. "It's not a race. Sure, you need to be in the capital in 7 months time, but that's plenty of time! Just don't over-rush things. If you want a job done, you do it properly. Same with pokemon training."

She reached for her own poke-ball, opening it manually, allowing her Murkrow to launch itself into the air, its black feathers completely matching its trainer's uniform. Her Flying-Type hovered above her, obedient. In reply, I threw my poke-ball into the centre of what would become our 'battlefield', my new pokemon appearing in a flash of light, standing its ground firmly.

"The first thing you need to know about Bergmite, is that it has a type advantage against Flying-Types like Murkrow here." Amy advised, placing her hair behind her ear in order to observe this battle a little clearer, the piercing on her right eye clearly visible. "But that doesn't mean anything if your pokemon's attacks are unable to _hit _Murkrow. So let's see what you got!"

Bergmite turned to face me, nodding, prepared. Unfortunately, I had precisely no idea what moves it could do. I checked my pokedex, allowing it to scan my pokemon, waiting for it to come up with my answer.

'_Bergmite - Level. 7_

_-Tackle_

_-Harden_

_-Powder Snow_

_-Icy Wind'_

Perfect. Now I knew everything!

"Let's get this started! Murkrow use Arial Ace!"

Amy's command sent her pokemon swooping into the sky, before arcing towards my Bergmite, accelerating ever quicker. I knew my new pokemon's attempts to dodge it would be useless, but I couldn't think of what to say, what to do!

"Use Harden!" I blurted out, the first move I could remember from looking at the pokedex.

Bergmite crouched, its ice-like body audibly cracking, splintered cracks now visible along the entire length of its body. Almost as soon as they appeared, they vanished again. No other visible change.  
Did anything happen?  
Murkrow impacted against my Ice-Type, but was instantly warded off by Bergmite's glacier-like horn, Amy's pokemon momentarily dazed. It looked like Bergmite suffered minimal damage, music to my ears!

"Attack it while it's dazed!" Derek shouted, snapping me into focus. Of course!

"Tackle it !" I proclaimed, rewarded as my pokemon rushed towards Murkrow, tackling it to the ground before it had a chance to take off into the sky. The Flying-Type landed on its back, but quickly recovered, finally finding elevation as it flapped its wings.

"Not a bad start." Amy confessed, smiling.

"And I'm not done yet!" I was quick to add, not allowing her a moment of respite. My father taught me to always take advantage of an opportunity, and right now, Murkrow's momentary lapse was the biggest opportunity I could spot. "Bergmite, use Powder Snow!"

My pokemon opened its mouth, ushering a pillar of ice and minuscule snowflakes, releasing it directly above its head, where its opponent was waiting.

"Oh no you don't! Murkow, Double Team!"

Impossibly, her pokemon multiplied, its copies caught in the miniature storm, disappearing one by one, until _all _of them had vanished! Where was the real Murkrow?  
Right behind my Bergmite!  
I was too distracted with witnessing my pokemon's strike to realize the genuine copy of Murkrow had flanked to the right, now in a prime position to attack! Amy didn't even need to order a command, her Dark-Type continuing its Arial Ace attack, crashing into Bergmite with _much _more success this time! My pokemon collapsed to the ground, unable to move.  
This couldn't be over, not yet!

"Finish it off with 'Razor Wind'!" Amy shouted, holding nothing back. Her pokemon beat its wings together, high above my pokemon, possessing the aerial, and tactical, advantage. I couldn't see the hostile air itself, but it definitely left its mark on the ground below, denting it easily as it made its way towards my injured Ice-Type. Amazingly, Begmite found the energy to leap to the left, missing the attack by _inches! _It clawed itself on all four legs again, turning towards Murkrow in anger.

"That's the spirit!" I complimented, as surprised as anyone that my pokemon was still standing. I had to think of a move that would end this battle quickly, and 'Powder Snow' wasn't going to cut it, I couldn't touch Murkrow as long as it was airborne.

That had to change!

"Icy Wind! Knock it out of the air!"

Bergmite accelerated towards its enemy, once again opening its mouth, blowing more chaotic gusts of sub-zero air than I gave it credit for, targeting Murkrow's position. Unlike 'Powder Snow', which was limited in its range, this new attack enveloped its prey immediately, extending until Murkrow had nowhere left to maneuver even if it wanted to. Bergmite's attack struck its opponent, its feathers crystallizing, weighing it down, forcing it to land.  
Which was _precisely _what I wanted to happen!

"Tackle again, one more time!" I cheered, my experience with Kazu working wonders, growing more and more confident.

Bergmite put all its energy into this charge, lowering its head to expose its 'horn', striking Murkrow dead-center in its chest. Much to my amazement, my pokemon _continued _to charge, dragging its unfortunate battling opponent along with it, slamming Murkrow into the ground!

"Murk!" Amy shouted, much less calm then before.

To my disbelief, her pokemon managed to take flight _again, _returning to its owner. One thing was for sure, Amy's Murkrow was _much _more resilient than my pokemon.

"You're doing great!" she applauded, her pokemon nodding with respect. "Now you know which attack works best at close-range, and which works well at long-range. You seem to be picking up on a battle style very quickly, as well. Color me impressed!"

Murkrow launched itself towards Bergmite again, a ballistic missile.

"Now let's see how your pokemon can stand up to _non-physical_ attacks. Murkrow, use Psychic!" Amy continued, lowering her jet-black hair over her right eye once again.

Bergmite lunged for its opponent...before becoming surrounded in a purple glow, levitating into the sky against its will. Bergmite struggled and squirmed, but was simply unable to break the hold! Murkrow continued its charge, ready to unleash yet another attack!

"Wing Attack." its trainer announced, closing her eyes, accepting victory.

Bergmite was unable to do anything as its opponent struck against it viciously, a miniature sonicboom reverberating all around the battlefield. Bergmite fell to the ground, a full twenty-feet in itself, colliding against the ground.

'_Oh no...'_

I dashed towards my pokemon, shielding it from the Murkrow above, effectively throwing in the towel.

"I give! You win the battle! Bergmite can't take any more!"

Amy nodded, gesturing to her Murkrow with a wave of her hand, her pokemon landing on top of her shoulder.

"I accept your forfeit, Alex. Your pokemon was a lot stronger than I thought, you should be proud!"

'_Proud' _was the last feeling I wanted to experience right now, attempting to hold my injured pokemon in my hands. Bergmite was heavy, and incredibly cold, and my hands instantly felt numb. Thankfully, my pokemon opened its eyes, blinking twice. Bergmite was ok.

"You did great!" I whispered, rubbing my purple hand across its 'forehead'. "You gave it your best shot. We'll get better I promise!"

Bergmite nodded its head, trying its best to stand on its four legs.

"I have to say," Derek commented, crouching next to my pokemon in earnest. "Your pokemon is still able to stand, even after a very powerful attack like 'Psychic'. It's a _lot _tougher than you give it credit for, Alex! Maybe you shouldn't have forfeited. Maybe you could have _won!"_

_"_Boo!" his pokemon added, floating around its trainer.

Maybe I could have, and maybe I couldn't. I didn't care at this point. All that mattered was that my pokemon was ok.  
And not left in the same way Umbreon was, after what _her _pokemon had done to it!

"What happened to her?" I asked, knowing that Amy would pick up on what I meant immediately. She faced the ground as I said this, visibly annoyed even when she tried her best to hide it.

"I don't want to talk about it."

That was my attempt of extracting information completely destroyed, then.

* * *

Aura forced herself to breathe. To relax.  
That's what Jack had always tried to teach her, but she couldn't see the point in it. Resting meant that you weren't on the move, always on the initiative. Perhaps what he had said made sense, she was attracting far too much attention by challenging hopelessly feeble trainers. She hated him with a fiery passion, but she was forced to admit that maybe she was doing things from a warped perspective.  
He was the one trainer who managed to defeat her, and that made her _angry! _  
What was he doing here, far-away in this desolate region? Did he follow her? Did he know what she was up to? Of course not! If he had, he would have taken what she had stolen from that cave.  
The fossil was resting on a stone slab, its features indistinguishable to her. Despite its size, it was monstrously heavy, and Aura required _both _her Machokes simply to extract it from the wall. Thankfully, all of this was done before she was interrupted, by _Amy Stravos, _of all people.

"Pathetic!"

She didn't know precisely how to revive the pokemon inside the thick slab of earth, but she knew someone who _did!_

Her Charizard gazed out of their dwelling, looking for anyone who would dare to intrude. Of course, given that they had decided to set up camp _within _Citrios' sheer mountainous region, Aura was quietly confident that she was alone, unable to be found unless _she _wanted it so. A blizzard was busy tearing throughout the mountains around them, further masking them from anyone who would have come looking.

'_I will become the most powerful trainer of them all.'_

Aura paced herself, moving towards her fossil deliberately slowly, stroking it delicately with her gloved fingers.

_'You and I are going to do terrible things, if you are the pokemon I had studied so much about. Hopefully you are as vicious as history claims you were.'_

It couldn't assure her that it was, but she didn't care, laughing as coldly as she could, distracting her Charizard. Kadabra was resting behind her, preparing for the long journey back to Kanto. It took a lot of energy simply to move here, but she had all the time in the world.

Despite what Jack had said, Aura _could relax._


	7. Chapter 7 - A New Challenger Approches

"Ghostrick! Use Razor Leaf!"

"Oh no you don't, dodge it and use Ember!"

The days had melted by, and under Amy's careful tutoring we had managed to make some small progress. It had rained for the previous three days, turning our campsite into a waterlogged mess, meaning that we were forced to sleep inside the pokemon center. Not that I was complaining, but I would have liked to have gotten used to the whole 'sleeping outdoors' aspect of our journey, even if a bed was infinitely more satisfying.

That was how my parents had done it, back before the very notion of_ 'Pokemon Centers'_ had truly become the essential addition they now were. I wanted to capture some of that experience, even if it meant sacrificing my back in the process!

My Cyndaquil moved from left to right, learning its evasive maneuvers from Amy surprisingly well. The hostile leaves it was attempting to dodge hit the ground below its feet, as if Ty's very movements were triggering them. My pokemon launched miniature fireballs from its mouth, soaring towards its levitating target. Unfortunately, Derek's Pumpkaboo had learned just as much from our teacher, and swerved to the left, avoiding every single fiery projectile.

"Show him what I taught you!" Amy encouraged, siding with my childhood companion unexpectedly.

And unfairly, in my opinion!

Derek grinned, his pokemon returning to his side, waiting for his instruction.

"Confuse Ray, double time!" He requested, Pumpkaboo's body glowing in response. It sailed towards my Cyndaquil, who was unsure of what to do now, just like its trainer. The Ghost-Type launched a powerful beam of light from its pumpkin 'eyes', instantly striking my pokemon. It took just a matter of seconds before Ty was struggling to stay on its feet, dazed and confused.

"Ty!" I shouted, but there was nothing I can do.

"_Don't _forfeit!" Amy threatened, catching the motion in my brain before it could transmit to my mouth. "If you give up now, what's stopping you from giving up when you face Mitikairu? You need to let your pokemon fight until it can take no more!"

I know she was only trying to help, but those words stung.

"Bullet Seed now!" Derek continued, allowing his pokemon to launch vicious projectiles from its mouth, instantaneously striking Cyndaquil, every single one of them a direct hit! Despite this, Ty continued to stay on its feet, shrugging off the damage _far _better than I was expecting. Of _course, _Grass-Type attacks were normally ineffective on Fire pokemon like my Cyndaquil! I realized, slowly, that maybe I was at more of an advantage than I thought.

Maybe _that's _why Amy sided with Derek...because she _knew _he would be the one who would need more help!

I recalled what Amy had said, when I used my first pokemon in battle the day before, losing convincingly.

'_Your enemy can't defend against something it can't **see**!'_

"Smokescreen!" I retaliated, Cyndaquil shaking its head to remove the confusion, thankfully picking up on what I said. It was our new trainers' suggestion, I certainly wouldn't have thought of it otherwise, and as Ty coughed a large stream of black smoke towards its opponent, I was glad she made it. My Cyndaquil was shrouded in its own attack, the smog growing ever larger, helped by a prevailing westerly breeze. Of course, my opponent had no idea what was going on, as did his pokemon. Amy simply smiled, playing the double-agent.

"Ember!"

Shots of flame broke through the shroud, catching Ghostrick dead-center. It was a critical hit, instantly sending it crashing to the ground, desperately trying to beat out the fire. Far too late to recover, though. I had learned from battling Murkrow that I had to capitalize while I could!

"Ty! Tackle!"

Cyndaquil broke through its own smokescreen, practically throwing its entire weight into its charge, impacting against Pumpkaboo's pumpkin body. Both combatants tumbled to the ground, yet it was my Ty that rose to its feet instantly, leaping towards me again, forming a protective stance.

Ghostrick, however, simply wasn't getting up.

"I believe we have ourselves a winner!" Amy announced, offering me a nod of respect for my first-ever victory. I grinned, my Cyndaquil scampering towards me as I crouched down to rub its head.

"You're pretty strong for a little guy, aren't you?" I encouraged, lifting my pokemon into my arms. Thankfully, it had learned to control its fire-wielding fiascoes over the past couple of days, and I felt more and more confident in carrying him outside his poke-ball.

"You did great, Ghostrick." Derek reassured, smiling as his pokemon managed to hover into the sky, though not without effort. It perched itself against his shoulder, decidedly shaken.

"It'll need this." Amy recommended, extracting a Full Heal from her bag, applying it to the minor burn area. "You just need a little bit more practice, and you two will make a great fighting team! I _would _suggest you search for other pokemon to add to your team, however. You'll need variety when it comes to challenging trainers, you know."

"Maybe I could get myself a Bergmite like you Alex!" he replied, smirking in my direction. "I would probably catch an even stronger one than yours!"

"I _severely_ doubt that!" I retaliated, laughing at the very notion of a Bergmite stronger than my own. It was small, but could take a punch! "We could head back down to the route towards Shiro? Plenty of pokemon there, right?"

"Yeah, but almost all of them are Bug-Type, which really aren't my thing. I could wait until we get to Hale Town. I'm pretty happy with using Ghostrick against Mitikairu right now."

His pokemon was free from its burn, now being handed a potion by its trainer, the spray instantly rejuvenating it. It was back to its normal self in no time, finding the energy to lift itself into the air, even with the breeze picking up the pace. I felt cold in a red T-shirt with matching shorts. The short walk back to Kazuki was now becoming a familiar pattern, my shoes crunching against the cobbled path as we left the grassy terrain surrounding this town. I noticed more and more now-familiar trainers making their way towards Kazuki's Gym, leaving its doors with depressed faces as they were each comprehensively defeated. So far, not a single trainer had managed to obtain their first badge, and I had to admit, thinking that a week of training was enough to challenge a determined Gym Leader was hilariously idiotic to me now.  
We had no idea what we were thinking of just a few days ago.  
We ventured towards the poke-mart, restocking Amy's supplies, which she payed with a smile thrown in for good measure, a different pair of glasses covering her eyes. It was strange, she put so much effort into changing her appearance every day. Her dark hair was now tied back in a braided style, hanging down her left shoulder. Her uniform matched her hair color perfectly, yet she accented this by adding pink arm-length gloves, matching the single line of dye in her hair. Perhaps I was being paranoid, but it was almost as if she was trying to avoid being _recognized _somehow. Her groceries obtained, the pokemon center was our next destination, its sliding doors sighing apart as we gazed into the now-triumphantly busy reception area.

'_wow...'_

Several trainers had surrounded no less than _three _nurses, all trying their best to handle the sudden influx of those needing urgent medical care. Poke-halls were traded and swapped between trainer and medical professional far quicker than I could see, and it was a small miracle in itself that they were able to keep track of which pokemon belonged to which owner!

"I see Mitikairu is busy at work." Amy commented, shaking her head. "I think we should come back later, I would like to spend more time with my Eevee, anyway."

"Are you handing it back to your friend today?" I asked, curious, the scene of worried trainers before us distressing me, as well.

"Blake was looking for him, he says he's busy with exams next week. I'm going to meet him soon, I hope. It's been a while..."

Amy's reminiscing distracted me from the drama unfolding in the center, and was silently thankful that we had left the vicinity, instead making our way towards Kazuki Tower, the fragile monument creaking around us. Maybe it was my amateur eye, but I could have sworn that the tower was beginning to _tilt _a coupe of degrees, as if the wind surrounding us was affecting it, somehow.

"It looks quite old. " Derek commented, moving towards the fence sealing it off from the general public, curious. "It's strange that it was built like that. It doesn't look like it could support a single person without toppling to the ground. Maybe it can't."

"It's a registered national monument, so there's nothing anyone can do about it at the moment." I answered, remembering my father bringing the issue up at home one day. Of course, the local community was worried that it could topple towards the nearest set of buildings, which would destroy them immediately, but because it is listed, no modifications can be made to it, and that had been a fierce topic of debate in Kazuki, as well as in neighboring cities, Shiro among them.

"Enjoying the tower, I see?" a voice asked in the background. For a second, I assumed the question was directed at somebody else. Surely the person would have been louder, and nearer to us, if it was directed to any one of us. As I tried to face the direction of the sound, however, it was obvious that the trainer was definitely directing the question in our direction. He was slightly taller than I was, perhaps 5'9 , black short dreads down to his neck, with silver tips and roots. I noticed as he walked briskly towards us that he had no less than 3 piercings on each ear, the rings connected by a silver chain. I spotted his unusual-looking necklace, with an antique watch wrapped around his neck.

"Of course we are." Amy answered for us, moving closer to this new teenager with interest, and suspicion. "Why do you ask?"

"_They _are, definitely, but you're a little bored of this, aren't you?" he suggested, smiling confidently towards her, turning the charm up, visible even from here.

"Actually, I find Citrios' history _very _interesting! She continued, smirking towards him, playing along with this conversation, " But I can see where this is going, and I'm afraid I'm not interested. Far too much jewelry for my liking."

" That's pretty funny considering you have piercings of your own!" Our new amigo retaliated happily, not at all deterred. While Amy found this amusing, Derek and I exchanged glances, wondering what to do with ourselves. Should we just leave the grown-ups to their flirting?

"Tell you what!" This new trainer proposed, revealing a custom-made poke-ball, chromed and shiny. " We have ourselves a battle. You lose, you have to go on a date with me!"

"You won't win, but I accept nonetheless!" Amy answered, shaking his hand, sealing the deal. "But just letting you know, you're going to be disappointed."

"We'll see about that. Where shall we do this?"

"I see no problem with right here, unless you want to avoid the public humiliation?"

He didn't like that very much, blushing at her casual threat, enlarging the capsule in his hand.

"Let's do this!"

His chromed poke-ball glistened in the daylight as it shot towards the sky, the Piplup hidden inside landing gracefully as it opened. His pokemon simply refused to stand still, energetic, its eyes filled with nothing but contempt towards its opponent, removing the cuddly stereotype I usually reserved towards Piplups.

"A new trainer, huh?" Amy muttered, realizing that this should have been a natural assumption on her part, and not a surprise. I could see her smile, a new idea popping inside her head. I could have guessed what she was thinking, she _did _say she wanted to spend more time with her Eevee, after all!

"Time to come out and play, Tiberius Appleseed!"

* * *

"You have to leave her alone, Jack. There's no use in hunting her down over such a minor matter."

Pallet Town was basking in the afternoon sun, the hottest day of the year so far. Professor Oak's Laboratory was busy with several Scientists, scores of many different pokemon roaming around the large reserve surrounding it. The pokemon professor himself was sitting down in his working chair, carefully studying several different types of poke-balls with over-sized glasses. Jack stood in the middle of his study, his Pidgeot visible from outside the west window, uncomfortable and tired. It had taken almost an entire day to fly non-stop to Pallet Town, it was only natural for his pokemon to be exhausted. Jack felt slightly guilty for resorting to such a audacious journey, but Aura could be anywhere, and he needed to know _where!_

"You don't understand, professor. She's plotting something, I just know it. "

"And what exactly am I supposed to do about this?" Oak countered, removing himself from his work to get a closer look at the trainer before him, remembering when both of them were beginning their pokemon journey, far removed from the trials and tribulations that faced them now. "I appreciate your concern, and Aura's...methods of raising her pokemon _can_ be seen as a little extreme. But there's nothing I can say to her that will make any difference, and there is nothing to suggest she's scheming something. "

"Then why would she go to so much trouble to travel to Citrio if there was nothing there? " Jack argued, losing his patience. " You know her as well as I do."

Oak sighed, suddenly exhausted, reflecting his aging years. He had just recently turned 60, and Jack could see the difficult routine of his job affecting him in the way he walked, the way he spoke, _especially_ in the way he sighed in defeat.

"I'm sorry, Jack. There's nothing to suggest that Aura is up to something."

"Well that's just fine. Thank you for your time, Professor."

"Jack, wait! Just listen to me..."

He had no more time for the professor, leaving his lab before he could listen to whatever Oak had left to say. Pallet Town presented him with a pleasant view, vast acres of forest surrounding the diminutive settlement. This was a bad idea, of course it was. The Professor was right, of course. There was no _evidence, _but that didn't mean Jack couldn't help but feel suspicious. Was it wrong that he felt so overwhelmingly _right _that it hurt, that if he was unable to act then it would be too late?

It was a mistake to leave her go. Not once, but _twice!_

_'I know that now.'_

Pidgeot dutifully kept pace with its trainer, casually taking to the sky as he strolled towards the town itself, happy that it was full of familiar locals. True, Pallet Town was not his home, but he had visited it so often, so long ago, that there was nowhere more familiar, nowhere more friendly. He had to leave this place, it reminded him too much of her. The _real _her, and not this angry possessed shadow of the girl he knew before. If Oak wasn't going to talk to her, than maybe he should, face-to-face. She may still be ine Citrio region, after all, why go there in the first place if she would simply decide to leave again? Jack silently hoped he was right.

"I'm sorry I have to do this to you old friend, but I need you to take me back again." He whispered, stroking his powerful pokemons' wings as it landed beside him. Pidgeot lowered its back, accommodating its trainer, before taking off to the sky, heading in the direction of Pewter City.  
Just one more stop left to go, and more more person who could listen...


	8. Chapter 8 - Battles

**Apologies for the hiatus, but I'm currently working on an original story of mine, with the aim of publishing it in the next year or so, and hopefully I can become an established author!  
****As a result, I will be much slower in updating this fic, but I haven't forgotten about it, and I have every intention of carrying this out until the very end of the story. Thank you very much for reading, and reviews and criticisms are always welcome!  
****Danny Power And His Broken Sky**

* * *

"Your Pokemon's cute." Amy extended, smiling to herself on account of her challenger. Far from shriveling into the background, he stood tall and defiant, a trainer who was used to the tedious medium of Pokemon battles. I examined both combatants in the middle of this buzzing town, and it turned out many more residents were doing the same thing. It wasn't long before I was forced to shove aside many of our new onlookers. A battle happened every damn day in Kazuki, why were the general public still so _interested?_

"I could say the same. " Piplup's owner announced, itching to battle. "But I have to warn you, we don't lose so easily, which restaurant should we book first?"

"You flatter yourself. I'm not going on a date with you."

"You'll see!" he announced, pointing directly at his challenger. "Chef, use Water Gun!"

'Chef' squabbled quickly towards Amy's Eevee, shooting a jet of lukewarm water directly at its foe. For a second, it looked like the attack would land a direct hit, it was simply coming in too fast!

"Dodge it." Amy retaliated, not at all concerned.

Her Pokemon side-stepped quickly, avoiding the attack effortlessly as it struck against the nearest house behind it. Derek and I stood her with unhinged jaws. Considering Amy herself considered her Pokemon a 'baby', it was remarkably well-trained!

"Sand-Attack!" she commanded, and it took just a moment before her Eevee acknowledged, dashing towards its opponent, pawing well-aimed clouds of dirt right into the Piplup's eyes. For a moment, it fought to stand on its own two feet, blinded and dazed.

"Now tackle!"

'Tiberius' crashed into its opponent, sending the Water-Type crashing into the ground, still fighting to remove the sand from its eyes.

"Such basic maneuvers. " Derek breathed, awed. "And yet, completely effective, it's unbelievable!"

I couldn't agree more.

Amy's opponent lost his confident sheen, and he was beginning to get just a little impatient, it was obvious from the way he bit his lower lip, to the way his stance changed.

"We're not down just yet, are we Chef? Aqua Jet!"

His Piplup must have been able to see clearly again, because it knew precisely where its foe was standing, and shot at it in a flurry of water and speed. No side-stepping in the world could have prevented Tiberius from experiencing that attack. Amy's Pokemon fell to the ground as Piplup stood confidently over it, struggling to get back on its feet. For the first time in this entire battle, Amy looked worried, and that usually spelled trouble.

"Finish this with bubble!" Amy's opponent declared with righteous glee, satisfied that the match was won. Piplup soared into the air, and drew gasps from the captivated crowd as it fired hostile aqua projectiles from its mouth.

"Tiberius Appleseed, Double Team!"

It was a desperate last-stand, and Amy knew it. Her Eevee seemingly duplicated itself, far too fast for the eye to see, yet the bubble projectiles were picking off many of the duplicates easily, it would take a miracle not to be struck by that attack!

Judging from the way her Eevee was not only still standing, but racing towards its opponent, showed that miracles _do _happen. I simply stared in disbelief, and I knew my friend was more than likely experiencing the same thing. That Bubble attack covered a wide radius, how did Tiberius _avoid _it?

"Tackle again!" Amy shouted, and her Pokemon was not to be denied. Piplup simply didn't have enough time to focus on landing on its feet before it was sent spiraling into the air again, landing _very _awkwardly on its head, no longer able to move.

So _that _was a critical hit!

It's trainer rushed towards his fallen Pokemon, while many of the onlookers rushed towards Amy and her victorious Pokemon, cheering and jeering in an optimism that was simply infectious. She brushed it off easily, reaching for her Eevee, rubbing its fur in her hands as she picked the Pokemon up, cradling it in her arms.

"You've done very well! Just wait until we tell Mom about this!"

It hit me that she was referring to her friend, the trainer that owned Espeon, Tiberius's biological mother. It felt nice, allowing the Eevee to see both its parents, and their corresponding trainers, every week. Amy's fallen foe returned his Piplup to its Poke-Ball, turning around to leave without a word.

"Wait!"

Amy's command stunned him, and he turned to face her again, sudden optimism visible in his eyes.

"Will you still go out with me?"

"Nope, _but _I like your style, man. I wouldn't mind if you tagged along with us?"

"I'd love to!"

He was so positive and optimistic about dating her, it was obvious even from here. Derek and I gave each other the wary eye, we understood that things may become a little _awkward._

_"_What's your name?" I asked, now as good a time as ever to inform him that there was more to this group than Amy. He shook my hand, but looked noticeably distracted, and I couldn't tell if this was because of the injured Pokemon in his Poke-Ball that needed to be taken to the 'Center, or the trainer that put it there.

"Locke. Locke Steele. Nice to meet ya' "

* * *

"Are you _sure _about this? We can always help you train some more. We have all the time in the world."

"I think we should battle him now." I replied, Amy's offer was sweet, but there was no point holding it in any longer. "Besides, couldn't this be considered as _training _too? At least we'll know what we're up against."

"You got a positive outlook on things kid, you know that?"

The Gym looked a _lot _more imposing when you stood mere meters away, and all our training seemed insignificant in comparison, that we were simply fooling ourselves into thinking we could defeat whatever was behind that door. Derek must have faced the same realization, because he gulped as soon as he stood next to me, his Pumpkaboo perched on his shoulder, completely impassive.

"So how is this going to work?" he asked, and I could notice a faint tremor in his voice, not confident at all. "I mean, which one of us goes first when it comes to battling him?"

"I'm sure we'll figure that one out when we get in." I replied, and pushed the door inwards. It was unimaginably heavy, and difficult to operate. Even from here, it was still too dark to see just what layed inside. We were going to have to take a closer look. Much to my surprise, Amy and Locke stood right where they were, and she could decipher my reaction pretty well.

"Sorry, but only battling trainers are allowed inside Kazuki Gym." she responded, shrugging her shoulders. "Believe me, I've been here before. Mitikairu doesn't heed well to unnecessary spectators."

"Any last piece of advice before we go in?" Derek asked, looking for any sort of silver lining, now that our mentor was effectively missing from our backrow. She rolled her eyes, smiling. She knew something we didn't, and _that _made me feel just a little bit more afraid.

"Focus on the stronger Pokemon first." she replied - before the door suddenly took a life of its own, closing shut behind us, separating us from them.

'_Oh boy...'_

It was easy to navigate the surprisingly broad hallway, though it was very poorly lit. Thankfully, Ghostrick was able to illuminate it for us, and it was then I noticed the dark brick that covered every square centimeter of wall, curving into an arc above our heads. We edged closer to the nearest opening, and I couldn't combat the butterflies swirling inside my stomach. This was exciting, sure, our very first Gym battle, but it was resolutely terrifying as well, and I _still _didn't know what to expect. Eventually, we arrived into yet another room, and I could only stand in wonder with what I saw.

A pair of man-made waterfalls ushered on the wall facing us, a large pool of shallow water accepting it. An _enormous _domed semi-circle of glass allowed precious light inside, but it came in in layers, the kind of rays you would normally notice peering through clouds. It was all rather beautiful, but I forgot about all of this when I noticed the large rows of steps that led right up to an iron throne.

And the man that sat upon it.

It was instantly apparent that he was a native of Johto, and he rose to his feet, standing tall and impervious, a wall of muscle. He was balding at the top of his head, with hints of gray threatening to cover what hair he had left, but his face looked much younger, no sign of wrinkles. Casually, we scaled the steps slowly, standing opposite the body of water between us and him.

"You will battle together." he stated calmly, yet his voice multiplied into echoes, reverberating across the entire room. "Each of you use one Pokemon, the winner is declared when both Pokemon on the opposing team are unable to battle."

Textbook stuff, but Mitikairu came across as a very impatient man, almost as if he _resented _being here. On closer analysis, wouldn't _anyone _resent battling new, inexperienced trainers such as ourselves on a day-to-day basis? The Gym Leader must have been annoyed at our very presence, and I haven't heard of anyone else managing to secure a win against him.

_"Samu..."_

_What?_

A Samurott emerged from one of the waterfalls, landing in a massive splash. The water simply glistened against its body as it stalked toward its trainer, confident. Derek and I exchanged utterly terrifying glances, not expecting a fully-evolved Pokemon to face us. Mitikairu, however, burst into laughter, a large bellow that could be heard bouncing all around the room.

"Samurott will not be facing you. My Pokemon is simply observing its kin in battle."

He enlarged two Poke-Balls, releasing his Pokemon manually. We understood what he meant by '_kin' _when both an Oshawott and a Dewott were deposited into the battlefield. Unlike the Oshawott I had seen in Shiro, Mitikairu's Pokemon looked positively focused, a one-track mind of winning. Dewott looked more impressive still, staring at us with a determination to succeed.

And that was when I saw them.

Their normal shells, a natural extension of the Pokemon themselves, had been replaced with _stone _replicas. They must have weighed infinitely more than their natural counterparts, but neither of the Pokemon seemed particularly bothered by them, owing to a lifetime of training, I was sure. It quickly dawned on me that our weeks training paled in significance to the effort Kazuki's Gym Leader must have been accustomed to.

But we couldn't think about this anymore. We came here for a reason.

"Go, Bergmite!" I screamed, my Ice-Type launching itself into battle, landing inside the pool. Its contact made its surroundings freeze slightly, much to my surprise.

"Ghostrick, Go!" Derek responded, not to be outdone, and watched as his Pokemon soared into the sky, landing alongside his counterpart.

"Interesting Pokemon." Mitikairu muttered, genuinely impressed, but that realization vanished in an instant. "Oshawott, Dewott, Razor Shell."

Both Pokemon unsheathed the weapons, stunning me as they formed vicious swords, created using solid water. It was impressive, and would have been dazzling if they weren't so deadly. Oshawott leaped towards my Bergmite, while Dewott reached for _both _his shells, leaping into the air with the single intent of taking Ghostrick out of the action early, its arms crossed in an 'X' stance.

"Flash!" Derek sputtered, unable to think of anything else.

His pokemon obeyed, and _just _before Dewott could strike its target, it was blinded by the Ghost-Type, its light forcing Dewott to abandon its attack. Nevertheless, the Pokemon recovered quickly, landing gracefully. Oshawott, meanwhile, darted towards my Bergmite, its sole shell intending to strike it down.

"Dodge it!" I cried, but soon realized why this would be more difficult than I thought. Bergmite was leg-deep in water, which slowed its movements, whether I wanted to admit this or not. The consequence of this meant that Oshawott effortlessly carried out its attack, stabbing Bergmite right between its eyes. My Pokemon was sent crashing to the floor, and I noted that it took _much _longer for my Ice-Type to recover than it did in normal sparring sessions with both Amy and Derek.

This was _bad!_

_"Dew!"_

Ghostrick was avoiding all of Dewott's blows, as it had the air advantage, but Mitikairu noticed this, and proceeded to eliminate that.

"Water gun."

Dewott changed tactics instantly, still clutching its shells, but began shooting bursts of water towards Pumpkaboo.

"Oh no you don't!" I challenged, drawing on Amy's advice when it came to battling.

'_Sometimes, you need to be on the defensive.'_

"Powder Snow, right at Dewott's attack!"

Bergmite soon began to usher a bitterly cold beam of semi-frozen ice, and solidified the water instantly as soon as it came into contact with it. My temporary elation faded pretty quickly, however, when I realized the projectile _wasn't _falling to the ground under its own weight. I simply made the attack more _dangerous! _The massively-sharp icicle impacted directly in the heart of Ghostrick's pumpkin body, sending it colliding with the back wall, pinning it there. Pumpkaboo was hurt, and it couldn't break free, no matter how much it tried!

_'What have I done?'_

_"Alex!" _Derek cried, looking at me in blind outrage. "What did you think that would _do?_"

"Oshawott, Razor Shell towards the fallen Pumpkaboo." Mitikairu commanded, and his smaller Pokemon rushed towards Derek's injured Pokemon, once again garnishing its shell with all the intention of taking the Ghost-Type out of the battle for good!

"Ice Beam!" I shouted, the only move I was able to think of at the heat of the moment, but soon realized how clever that could be as my Bergmite unleashed a beam of ice from its mouth, far too quick for the Water-Type to dodge even if it _was _focused on avoiding it!

Amazingly, Dewott rushed to its brother's aid, parrying the shot with one of his shells, _effortlessly _negating the attack at the cost of one of them. Impervious, the Dewott discarded the now-useless weapon, squaring off against my Pokemon in anger. Oshawott, meanwhile, carried on with its attack, striking Ghostrick's Pumpkin body, breaking it free from the icicles' grip, but nonetheless sending it spiraling to the ground.

"Your Pokemon do not act in harmony." Mitikairu stated, disappointed. The same annoyance, the same frustration in his voice. He didn't want to be here, battling amateurs. "You will never win with this dismal performance."

Both of his Pokemon regrouped, backs turned to each other, waiting for anything we could throw at them. Our injured Pokemon were a mess, and for a second I was torn between continuing, or simply throwing in the towel, '_live to fight another day', _and all that.

"Berg...mite!"

My Pokemon wasn't going to give up so easily, and it was still standing, much to my disbelief. A prominent scar was forming where the Oshawott had struck it, but it was too focused on battling to notice. Ghostrick took longer to get up, but it managed to eventually, taking to the sky again. It had definitely gotten a lot stronger than it had seven days ago!

Maybe our training _has _helped, after all.

Mitikairu was far from afraid, but I could see a faint smile escape his lips. I understood as much as he did, he didn't expect our Pokemon to be still standing.

"Both of you, Bubblebeam, take out that Pumpkaboo!"

His sudden change of tactics shocked us, and I didn't know what to do as both 'Wotts suddenly turned their attention towards Ghostrick, firing score after score of volatile bubbles towards the defenseless Ghost-Type. Unlike when Eevee was able to use Double Team in the earlier battle, Ghostrick hadn't learned that move, and was unable to do anything except try its best to outmaneuver the assault, failing. More and more of the projectiles struck against its already-weakened body, and I was certain there was not much more the Pumpkaboo could take!

But Mitikairu had one gaping flaw in his strategy: He completely ignored me.  
And I had a wavelength!

"Berg, use Ice Beam again!" I ordered. "_freeze _the water!"

Mitikairu recoiled, knowing what I was intending to do, but it was far too late to stop it now.

Bergmite shot yet another parry of ice directly in _front _of itself, and I watched in amazement as the pool quickly solidified in seconds, the wave of ice rushing towards both of the Gym Leaders' Pokemon. They were too busy trying to shoot Ghostrick out of the sky to realize that both their feet had effectively become frozen into place!

Now was our chance!

"Take Down!" I yelled, Bergmite launching itself towards Oshawott, tackling it with as much force as it could possibly muster.

"Ghostrick! Vine Whip!" Derek shouted, realizing that we were now at an advantage, and after all the abuse his Pokemon suffered, his Pumpkaboo was now free to carry out its attacks. Two vines stretched themselves from each side of its pumpkin, viciously darting, and striking, the defenseless Dewott, who struggled to escape the sheet of ice underneath its feet. Ghostrick continued with its attack, and neither 'Wott was able to stop it. Oshawott tried its best to protect its brother, but his shell was soon wiped out of its hand, landing unceremoniously twenty-feet away.

"This can't be..."

Mitikairu was at a loss for words, perhaps the first time in a _very _long time. What started as anger soon cooled to respect, but his annoyance had disappeared altogether,and he grinned, realizing he was being challenged much more than he had been lately.

"You have battled well, dear challengers."

Was this a surrender...or a taunt.

"Wotts, Water Gun!"

Both of his Pokemon were still able to use Water-based attacks, and even when frozen to the ground, they launched attacks with surprising effectiveness. Ghostrick's vines were clashing with the body of water Dewott was able to summon, slapping them away, while Oshawott was able to attack Bergmite from long-range, forcing my Pokemon to dodge left and right.

They were prepared for _any _situation!

"Derek!" I shouted, caught in the heat of the fight. "I need them to stop attacking us, _distract _them!"

He knew precisely what I was talking about, the way only best-friends could, and we could see it, we could see the end of this battle.

"Ghostrick, get in close!" he ordered. His Pumpkaboo nodded, and floated closer towards both his foes, swerving left and right to avoid their long-range attacks.

"Now _Flash!"_

The Ghost-Type blinded its opponents, at point-blank range, forcing them to cover their eyes in pain, and _that _meant their attacks had stopped.

'_Perfect!'_

"Powder Snow one more time!" I announced to Bergmite, who responded, by blowing the largest blanket of sleet and ice I had ever seen! The attack struck both defenseless Pokemon, both Wotts beginning to be covered in an avalanche. My Pokemon carried on its attack, circling its new prey as it avoided random streaks of water as both Oshawott and Dewott struggled to respond, still blinded by Ghostrick. Eventually, they were weighed down by my Pokemons' attack, almost frozen in place.

The Samurott made a move, ready to protect its kin, but its trainer raised his arm, stopping it.

"No. They have defeated me, fair and square."

"Take Down, Bergmite!"

"Vine Whip, Ghostrick!"

Both attacks successfully found their mark, and when the relentless battle subsided, both 'Wotts had collapsed to the ice beneath their feet, no longer moving.

Mitikairu closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose with his fingers.

"_Now _you can go."

His Samurott shot into the air, landing in front of its kin with a vengeful fury, growling defiantly at our Pokemon. For all their bravery, they rushed back towards us, knowing as well as we do that they would be decimated by the massive Water-Pokemon.

"She is very protective of her young." Mitikairu explained, and reached into his pocket, retrieving two identical badges, glistening underneath the overhead dome. They shimmered, as if they resembled water, encapsulated in a solid mass just as magnificent as his Pokemons' 'Razor Shell' attack. "I concede defeat, you have worked in exceptional harmony. As a result, I am proud to bestow to both of you, the Kairu Badge."


	9. Chapter 9 - Hale & Storm

"Say, Amy? You said you've _been _here before. Does that mean that you battled Mitikairu?"

"I have. I battled all of Citrios' Gym Leaders in the last two years or so."

That was one curiosity answered as we waited inside the Center's waiting room one last time, Our Bergmite and Pumpkaboo earning a much-deserved rest. My Kairu Badge was nestled on my orange T-shirt proudly, its metaphorical weight bearing down on me. Every now and again, I looked down to see if it was still there, smiling slightly each time. It looked remarkable, with real water flowing inside its glass casing with every step I took. I knew Derek was just as excited with his prize as I was of mine, almost giddy with excitement.

"Did you ever challenge the Citrio League?" I asked further, hoping to gleam as much information from our companion as possible. Amy replied with a little gleam in her eye, reaching inside her bag, handing me a miniature case. It was wooden, and gorgeously detailed, flickers of stars dotting the cover. I opened it slowly, and drew a surprised, unnecessary breath.

Glittering inside her case rested _eight _Gym badges, including a duplicate of my own, identical in every way to mine. I was delighted to simply have _one, _yet Starvos was content with hiding them away, the euphoria of earning them having worn off.

"You could challenge the league _now!" _I noted, still slightly shocked. She laughed, as if I had uttered the most ridiculous suggestion in the world!

"I could, you know, but then I would have to leave you guys behind, and I actually quite like your company. Besides, once you earn the badge, you can wait as long as you please before deciding on registering. As long as your badges are not scanned, they will always be eligible."

"That's...good to know!"

Locke was busy waiting impatiently on the other side of the room, his Piplup scampering around him in an effort to keep himself amused. He kept stealing admiring glances at Amy, and I could tell she she caught on to this, too.

"He's still a little angry that he isn't taking you to dinner." I whispered, blurting it out for no reasonable reason. She laughed a little at this, but offered no further comment. Derek, meanwhile, returned to us gleefully, his Pumpkaboo floating around him happily.

"Bergmite is ready for you Alex." he announced, rubbing Ghostrick's pumpkin body. He changed clothes in the restroom, and was now wearing much warmer clothing, a light-green jumper and comfortable-looking tracksuit pants. I rose to my feet eagerly, rushing towards the reception desk, and the nurse that waited there, a Poke-Ball resting in her hands.

"Congratulations on your victory." she responded nicely, handing me Berg's capsule lightly. "And I hope you enjoyed your stay in Kazuki. Please feel free to visit whenever you can!"

"Thank you." I replied, making sure Berg was safely secured inside my pocket. "I live in Shiro, so you can be sure I'll visit as frequently as I can!"

She nodded, but was distracted when another member of staff required her attention. She tended to her new objective while I returned to our little group, no longer obliged to stay here.

"Okay, so when will we decide to break for Hale Town?"

"Shouldn't we go grab our tents first?" Derek couldn't help but ask, pouring a little bit of reality down on me like a cold shower. Of _course, _I would have completely forgotten them if it weren't for my friend.

"_Right, _that _would _be a good idea after all."

"Well we have time." Locke interrupted, holding his Pokemon in his hands. It was playing with a steel necklace wrapped around his trainer's neck, satisfied. "The cable-cars operate every three hours, so the next one will depart at 3."

That gave us ninety minutes to play with.

"I'm going to send Tiberius back to my friend." Amy noted, talking to herself more than the rest of us. "It sounds like it'll take a while before we make it to Hale, I bet Espeon will love to see my little guy."

"And I'll go buy some food, and maybe some portable stoves." Locke continued, nodding fervently to himself. "It's a good thing you've now got an experienced cook on your team, I might as well make myself _somebit _useful!"

I couldn't tell if he was trying to earn Amy's heart through her stomach, but she had disappeared to the nearest face-time telephone before he mentioned it.

"C'mon Alex, we better replenish our supplies." Derek commented, as good an idea as any. I was happy we were able to occupy our time, and not simply waiting around with lots of it to kill. We all agreed to meet at the Center again in an hours time, and worked our separate ways. I was going to need to purchase a suitably-warm jacket for the journey ahead. Hale Town was bitterly cold, and the regions only exporter of ice-related objects. It wasn't an enormous claim to fame, but Hale was also the highest-situated town, which was a little more impressive.

'_200 days of snowfall every year, and I forgot to bring a jacket. How stupid of me.'_

* * *

This all happened so fast, it was almost as if each region was separated with an invisible wall, each with their own vastly different weather patterns. The first minute, he was soaring above the sky in pleasant temperatures, the next, he was facing the full-borne brunt of a storm.

'_Just a little further Pidgeot. We're nearly there.'_

Jack's Pokemon was powerful, but flying in this disastrous weather was enough to unsettle anything that was foolish enough to take to the sky. Kanto had long since passed him, and Johto's weather was brutal and bruising, the wind and hale assaulting his face until it felt numb, his fingers tingling even underneath the relative safety of his gloves. It was no use, the storm sprung far too quickly, far too heavy. He was going to have to land.

_'Take us down.'_

Gently, he bore more of his weight forward, his Pokemon acknowledging the order, swooping further down to ground level. Although Goldenrod would have been a preferable destination, he would have to be satisfied with Olivine City. Even from this altitude, he could see how choppy the sea raged on, large waves even managing to make their way inland, soaking the large line of sand that protected Olivine from them. Jack and his Pokemon landed, immediately running towards the local lighthouse, Pidgeot returning into the safety of his Poke-Ball.

'_Rest easy, old friend.'_

He would walk the rest of the way to Goldenrod as soon as the storm cleared away, but time was of the essence. Every second he was caught in here was another second Aura would roam free, plotting her scheme. Damn it, he just needed _evidence, _he _knew _something was about to happen.

Olivine's lighthouse was renovated a number of years ago, and the brick walls that lined its interior had been plastered over, bright in white. Red recliner sofas greeted him as he rushed through the door, soaked to the skin. It was a shame that he couldn't sit down and soak them with his clothes, but the temptation was unbearable. The storm raged on, and rasps of thunder were beginning to rumble. The notion of landing was indeed the correct option. he didn't wanted his Flying-Type to suddenly become a very tempting lightning rod. There was no-one else here, at least not on the ground floor, and the silence was almost deafening, to the point where Jack paced the enormous room he found himself in, simply to occupy his time and listen to his boots impacting the wooden floor underneath his feet.

_'So many mistakes, I should have stayed there. I should have known Oak would have never listened to me. Aura was always his favorite.'_

_"_You look lost, can I help you?"

He knew her as soon as he turned to face her, although he had never seen her face-to-face before. Her delicate-white skin, her overflowing hair, the slight nervousness in her voice as she spoke. Jasmine had managed to sneak up on him, he could have sworn he would have heard someone's footsteps coming his way!

"Just caught in the middle of the storm, heading towards Goldenrod...when the weather agrees with me."

"I see. Well, if you would like some refreshments, feel free to follow me to my Gym. You will be here until the storm passes either way, right?"

Jasmine was _much _tougher than she looked, and many a trainer had fallen towards this deception. Her Steel-Type Pokemon creating many rumors to those who lost to her, her personality and training skills were polar opposite aspects to her, something which Jack respected. It was such a shame that he couldn't stay long, but he never expected her to come up with such a generous gesture.

"I would be honored. I'll be out of your way in no time, I assure you."

"By all means, stay as long as you like. I could do with some intriguing conversation."

"_Intriguing?" _he asked, flattered. "I'm afraid you'll be disappointed."

She smiled, but there was something else, something Jack couldn't quite put his finger on. He couldn't be sure, but that was a _knowing _smile.

"Let me be the judge of that."

* * *

Everyone was present and accounted for.

Derek and I had purchased some more potions, with some Full Heals thrown in for good measure. Our tents had been secured and dismantled, now resting on each of our backs inside their diminutive bags. Amy and Locke were waiting for us outside the door, basking in the pleasant sunshine. While she was waiting for us, Amy had changed from her uniform-style clothes, wearing a dark-blue khaki top, with matching jeans. Her spiky hair had been curled back into a rushed ponytail, dark shades covering her face. Locke held a small box inside his hands, the portable stove he was aiming for resting inside it. It was for single-use, so cooking multiple items at once was going to be a problem, but at least we had _something. _

"We all set?" I asked, checking inside my new bag for the coat I just purchased, just to make sure it was still there, despite myself. I needed to buy a bigger rucksack, and I had done just that. Perhaps I should have filled my new purchase with all my items, but it would have to wait until the cable-car. Derek was similarly burdened, especially when Ghostrick was taking up vital room perched on his shoulder. I asked my friend if he was going to buy a Poke-Ball for his Pokemon, but he shook his head.

He _liked _being around his Pokemon all the time, and I felt guilty that I had Ty and Berg cooped up inside Poke-Balls all the time!

"Tiberius is back with my friend." Amy commented, slightly more care-free now that her babysitting duties had been relieved. "And I have everything I need, so let's get out of here."

We still had twenty minutes to make it to the next cable-car, and I paused to look at Kazuki Tower one last time, towering above us with all its fragile glory. It seemed to pierce the sky from my angle, and it looked good. I promised myself that I would discover just why this regions' native Pokemon had disappeared, which meant that I would become a Scientist, at some point.

'_Well, at least that meant I have job aspirations, wasn't I scared of growing up just a week ago?'_

We traveled in general chatter, leaving Kazuki behind for the last time. Locke had explained just how competent he was as a chef, and he carried a cookbook inside his bag, full of different recipes. Amy, to the contrary, was keeping tight-lipped about her past, not enough to be outright suspicious, but she had to have known that this would make me more curious. She had enlisted to Pokemon Academy, but had taken a year out to 'travel'. No mention of her parents, or why she had taken a year out.

'_Shut up Alex! You're being paranoid!'_

Derek and Ghostrick were having a blast, its trainer throwing little bites of food into the sky in varying heights, delighted as his Pokemon darted to catch each and every morsel. I couldn't keep my Pokemon inside anymore, and my Cyndaquil and Bergmite were released without delay, scampering alongside me. Fresh from his victory, my Ice-Type was beaming, no trace of the injuries it sustained in the Gym. Cyndaquil hopped from side to side, stretching its little legs eagerly.

'_Wow, I really do need to let them walk more often!'_

Hale Town was waiting for us, high above the starkly steep mountain before us, the only real sense of elevation compared to the surrounding plains. It seemed out of place, this mountain, like it was simply placed here randomly from somewhere much more suitable. Our cable-car was waiting for us, and it was empty. Had anyone else defeated Mitikairu yet? We weren't the _only _challengers to have won, were we?

"All aboard." Amy muttered, slightly...hesitant.

"Not afraid of _heights,_ are you?" Locke mentioned, elbowing her on the arm. The fierce glance that shot at him told him to never bring this up again.

All four of us on board, we took our seats opposite each other, marveling at the sheer area of glass surrounding us. Yet another plane of glass was placed in the middle of the floor, and all I had to do was glance at it before me feet reduced themselves to jelly. I wasn't going to look there when we were airborne, then.

"Cynda!"

Ty was sniffing the compartment, getting to know his surroundings some more. Without the fire bursting from his back, he looked naked, as if he was missing something. I held the little guy in my arms, surprised at how immediately warm I felt when I did this. Bergmite was simply gazing outside, bemused and happy doing its own thing. Locke's Pokemon stay right next to its trainer, shy and obviously not used to company just yet. It took five minutes before the cart levitated into the air, on its own accord. It was _bizarre_ to think that no-one down here was controlling this thing!

"How you holding up?" Locke asked seriously, slightly worried at Amy's reaction as she shied away from looking outside, from looking at anything but the floor in particular.

"I'm _fine."_

"You don't _look _fine."

"_Get off _my _back _about it." she growled, so low that it had only barely registered in my ears. They had only known each other for the best part of a day, Locke was pushing his luck, just a little bit. Not for the first time, Derek and I exchanged knowing glances. How long was this going to last before we decided to intervene?

This thing moved _slowly, _surely whoever was invested in running all of this could have invested in a bit more _acceleration? _Sixty minutes melted away, and our altitude was still climbing. It was getting noticeably colder now, and I saw the beginnings of the first snowflakes melt over our heads. My badge began to freeze slightly, small chunks of ice present inside it, threatening to solidify altogether. Ty leaped from my hands, immediately bursting into flames in an effort to keep itself warm. Bergmite, on the other hand, was delighted.

_"Berg!_"

"I would love an Ice-Type Pokemon of my own." Amy whispered, focusing on my Ice-Type to distract herself from what must have been a terrifying view to her outside. "Maybe Tiberius could evolve into a Glaceon, it would be adorable..."

She was speaking to herself instead of any of us in particular, so I left my seat and gazed outside with my Bergmite. What started as a few flakes of snow had suddenly metamorphosed into an all-out snowstorm, and visibility was greatly impaired. There was nothing to suggest that the town below was experiencing a heatwave, that's for sure.

"Is this where you came from?" I cooed, rubbing my Pokemon's head, flinching as my arm was instantly rendered numb. I found it amazing to believe that my Ice-Type could keep itself in its frozen state like this, even in full view of the sun. I couldn't grasp how it could constantly keep a constant zero degrees, perhaps even colder. Cyndaquil nuzzled itself against my arm, looking for more attention. I smiled, once again lifting my Pokemon into my arms, surprised when it decided to scamper inside my jumper in an effort to keep itself warm.

I _severely _hoped it would keep its flames in check for the duration of the journey.


	10. Chapter 10 - Arrival in Hale

**-Jack-**

It was no use, the torrential downpour outside was simply _increasing_, and not the other way around. If the storm didn't subside soon, he was going to have to leave and endure it.

Olivine Gym was a surprise, particularly when it was Steel-Types that were mainly trained here. The ceiling rose far above their heads, large enough to house her powerful Steelix, her signature Pokemon. This place must have been a dis-used warehouse before it was converted, it was obvious when you glanced at the thin, industrial windows, the exposed beams especially prominent. This environment is the last place Jack expected such a _delicate _person such as Jasmine to spend the majority of her time.

But Jasmine was full of surprises.

"I noticed you flying through the storm." she commented, pouring some camomile tea into a delicate china cup, handing it to her guest. "Amphoros was the one who spotted you. You made a good call landing here, you and your Pokemon would have been destroyed mid-air otherwise. This storm is _decidedly _strong, I've never seen anything like it."

Jack accepted his beverage gratefully, sipping its contents lightly, an eye still cast at the nearest window, and the raging sea that could be seen beyond it.

"I am grateful for all of this, thank you."

"It's my pleasure, please, stay as long as you would like."

"I can't stay long."

This was where Jasmine frowned, trying to gaze straight through her guest, attempting to discover what he was hiding. She couldn't possibly understand what was coursing through his mind right now, though not for lack of trying.

"You have business here, that much is obvious, but you seem a little...on-edge, as if the fate of the world depends on it."

"Is it that obvious?" he responded, buying some time by placing his cup in between his lips, closing his eyes in a feign facade of concentrating on its aroma.

"Forgive me, I must be intruding!" she suddenly replied, almost embarrassed to have brought the entire point of conversation up. She looked beautiful here, right now. Jack just simply couldn't provide the answer to her, even if he had one in the first place, his plan was far from concrete. The person he was looking for in Pewter City couldn't provide him with the information he so desperately craved, so there was only one place he knew where to look.

"Tell me, Jasmine. Do you know about the legend of Lugia?"

To her credit, the Gym Leader didn't look at all surprised, drinking from her own cup as if this was only a natural extension of any conversation.

"You're wasting your time. The Pokemon is simply a myth."

If Jack could just enlist Lugia to temporarily stand by his side, maybe he could make a difference, in case _she _was up to something. Aura was getting more and more powerful by the day, he could _feel _it. If he could _convince _the legendary Lugia that she needed to be stopped, would it acknowledge the danger? Would it know by the subtle shift in the air? The sudden epiphany was irresistible to ignore, and Jack's '_plan'_ suddenly took on a much more solid form.

Even if it _was _bizarre.

"Well, hypothetically speaking, if Lugia _were _to be more than a myth, where would you think it would reside?"

"I feel you already know the answer to that."

Her observation was keen, but Jack could feel the agitation boiling up inside her, surprisingly quickly.

"You've been asked this before haven't you?"

"There are islands south from here, and you have no idea how many trainers _died _while they were out to sea, looking for a Pokemon held together by air and rumors. I can assure you, especially in this weather, you will not survive to make it there."

"I have to try." Jack rebuked, and they both knew this conversation was over.

Jasmine smiled, delicate lips on delicate face, and stood up, gesturing to the door.

"Then by all means, go ahead. I will look for your body when you drown."

It was a sobering statement, especially from her.

"You're too kind..."

* * *

It was cold. _very _cold.

I huddled next to my Cyndaquil, eternally grateful for its warmth. I could tell that I was the envy of the rest of the group, Amy in particular, whose fear of heights had calmed slightly as a light blizzard prevented her from seeing much outside. Having said that, she resolutely refused to look towards the ground, and the large sheen of glass housed there. My Bergmite was happy, much more comfortable in this drastically different climate that it had been back in Kazuki. This place was its home, so it was only natural.

I reminded myself to call my parents when I had the time. They were gracious enough not to call me every 5 minutes, asking me how I was getting on, but I just couldn't resist telling them about my first Gym endeavor.

"We're nearly there." Derek assured Amy, deciding to sit next to her in an effort to calm her down. It was ironic that the 13-year-old was looking after the eldest and most mature of our little renegade. Ty nuzzled its nose against my hand, licking it. It felt wet and warm, contradictory to what the rest of my body was experiencing, and I hugged my Pokemon just a little bit tighter.

"Looks like we're here." Locke announced, nodding in approval.

The cable-car had scaled the mountain eventually, and Hale Town's station blocked the remaining winds from surrounding us, so we could glance at where we were about to land. It looked eloquent, ice-flakes present in every shape and form, even in the construction of the overhead beams keeping the ceiling intact. It was a mixture of a delicate web and a unique snowflake, and it looked utterly gorgeous. Almost everyone waiting within the facility were heavily clothed, large coats with extra-warm fur wrapped around them. It suddenly made my most recent purchase look like a light jumper in comparison. Amy sighed a breath of relief, grateful that she no longer had to see the elevation of several thousand feet beneath her shoes.

"Let's saddle up boys and girls, time to go!" she chanted, placing her dark glasses over her eyes, as if we were about to embark on the beach.

I couldn't understand why.

I thought it was cold _inside _the cable-car, but as we made our way outside to the nearest platform, I could feel the temperature drop as if it was in freefall. My eyes stung, unused to the chill, as if they were being struck with _knives. _How _cold _was it up here? Bergmite leaped from the carriage with a care-free abandon, utterly happy. I found myself hugging ty even more than I had before, but my coat was blocking the direct source of heat from my Fire-Type.

I instantly regretted this purchase.

Derek and Locke didn't fare much better, and Pumpkaboo, without the protection of a Poke-Ball, was shaking subtly, miniature icicles beginning to form on the surface of its pumpkin body. We made our way outside the station, and Derek and I gasped at what we saw. Hale Town was a place neither of us had the luxury of visiting, but the town itself looked fantastic, a dazzling array of shops, bars and stores wrapped around an enormous roundabout, an ice-sculpture of an Articuno dazzling us. Of course, Hale Town had a special reverence for the Kanto legendary, and had even went as far as suggesting that it was the Pokemon itself that created this place! Of course, I took those 'legends' with a _heavy _pinch of salt, but it was a nice addition to the towns' historical claims. Little kids, dressed like Eskimos, were leaping up and down in excitement when they saw the sculpture, and it was then that I saw their parents open up what I assumed was part of a wall, now easily noticeable as a tiny door, as they ventured inside.

It was an _ice-rink._

"We better orientate ourselves and find the Pokemon Center." Amy suggested, but from the way she was walking it was clear she knew exactly where this was. "The Gym is on the opposite end of town from here, feel free to look for it while I secure some beds for the night. We can meet up here in about an hours' time."

Of course, Derek and I chose to look for the next Gym we would be challenging, leaving Amy and Locke all alone. Again.

"You think he'll ever manage to get her to go out with him?" Derek whispered, almost as if either of them were still behind us, but it never hurt to be sure.

"The guy is nothing if not consistent, and willing." I replied, scaling a large hill towards the end of town, my shoes struggling to find proper purchase on the icy path. My friend had suffered from the same problem, and it was obvious who were the locals and who were the deluded tourists. Snow was beginning to fall again, another wave of a blizzard on the cards.

"I'm not exactly _comfortable _with him around." he continued, speaking much more freely now, holding his Ghost-Type in his hands. "He comes across as a bit..._weird."_

"Let's give him a chance, he could be nice, flirtatious determination aside."

"Let's just hope Amy doesn't put him in his place again!"

I had to laugh at that, it was impossible not to. A tempting array of shops were posted to our right, with food I had never _seen _before. A store serving a delicious array of chocolate beverages caught my attention, and any thoughts of our next Gym were immediately shoved to the back of my mind.

I was weak.

* * *

**-Jack- **

Olivine was harsh, the storm belting the exposed buildings, windows reacting badly to the downpour. He shielded his eyes, not able to look at anything but the ground. Carefully, deliberately, he placed one foot in front of the other, gazing at nothing but the cobbled pavement underneath his feet. One foot left, one foot right.

Until he found himself standing on fine sand, tiny fragments of it whipping into the air from the gale-force winds. The sea wasn't too far, and his hunch needed to be proven.

'_One foot left, one foot right. One foot left, one foot right.'_

He reached for a Poke-Ball, the one Pokemon in his arsenal who could possibly cope with the weather in hand. Impossible to throw it into the air, Jack simply depressed the central button, and his Pokemon launched itself into the body of water before him, smiling as it uttered a reverberating growl.

'_Thank you, Gyarados.'_

He dashed into the water until he was knee-deep inside of it, and reached for his Pokemon's scaly body, struggling to place himself on top of its back. Quickly, resisting the brutal elements, he scaled his Pokemon's body until he was perched on top of Gyarados' head. His powerful Pokemon rose ever higher, and its trainer could see the entirety of the city he was leaving behind, as well as the bare silhouettes of the islands far off in the distance. They were illuminated by the crackle of lightning, striking the very stone they were made from.

So the storm was centered _within _the islands? This was far too coincidental. Those islands were _far _from the highest focal point in the vicinity.

"To the islands!" Jack commanded, and held on with all his might as his Pokemon sliced through the choppy waters with apparent ease, not at all bothered by the conditions. He couldn't tell how much distance he was covering, or how quickly they were covering it. Although Olivine soon disappeared from view, the islands appeared no closer than were they were before. What _was _edging closer towards him were those thunderclouds, and the lethal electricity that was housed inside of them.

_'Hang in there. You're doing great.'_

This was suicide, pure and simple. Maybe Jasmine was right, maybe she _was_ going to have to search for him in the water at some point. Jack's Pokemon would easily survive, of course, but its trainer was made of much weaker stuff. It simply took one lightning strike to kill him. Was this really worth it?

Of course it was.

The conditions were getting worse. Gyarados tried to compensate, but its owner couldn't help but grab a hold of it even tighter, his back punished from the audacious journey. His legs were numb, as was his right arm, yet he bit his lower lip in determination, refusing to leave go. Were the islands growing closer? He couldn't see them anymore, cloaked behind those damn thunderclouds. It was getting dark, dangerously so, and there would be no way of navigating these disabling waters!

Except for the lighthouse!

It was flashing, the Amphoros inside shining with all its might, navigating ships safely towards Olivine. In the midst of this numbing weather, the choppy waves, the dangerous and deadly lightning that could strike at any time, Jack found himself at a critical crossroads. His Pokemon would make it there, easily, but Jack was reaching the end of his endurance. He could feel it in the way his face ached, the way his legs refused to respond from any impulses, the way his grip on his Pokemon was growing weaker with every second.

_'Damn it.' _

His destination was so close it was almost within reach, so close he could _taste _it, he had to carry on, no matter the consequences.  
One of those _consequences _struck mere _feet _from both trainer and Pokemon, not enough to hurt either of them, but enough for Jack to become momentarily distracted, loosing his hold on Gyarados, tumbling to the sea below. Despite himself, he tried to breather, and found only salt water instead. He thrashed and struggled to rise to the surface, hoping his Pokemon would attempt to save him. He could _hear _his Pokemon scream in defiance, but he couldn't see where it was, and where it was searching for him. He felt himself tossed around by the vicious currents, always when he was within reach of breaking air.

_'Aura...don't do this. '_

* * *

There it was. Hale Gym.

It looked unspectacular from the outside, large sheets of frosted glass providing us with absolutely no indication with what was going on inside whatsoever. The building seemed to be closed at the moment, much to my disappointment. Of course, we needed to train a bit more before we even thought about facing the Leader inside, but a first-case scenario of the building in general would have been nice. If there was anything he learned from Mitikairu's Gym, it was that using your environment to your advantage was paramount. It was the reason why we had managed to defeat him in the first place. Derek didn't seem all that bothered as we walked right up to the locked door, shrugging his shoulders.

"It's not going to go anywhere, let's head to the Center."

"But the chocolate store..." I fired in retaliation. It was a compelling argument, and Derek couldn't deny it.

"You got a point there ol' buddy ol' pal."

"Don't I always?" I responded, the two of us laughing like idiots again, trying _very _hard not to slide down the difficult-to-scale hill towards the center of town.

"You think...we would be better off _without _our escorts?" Derek continued, almost ashamed as soon as he said it. "I mean, they're really cool and stuff, but it feels like we're the ones tagging along on _their _journey, and not the other way around. That's just what it feels like to me."

"I see what you mean...but Amy helped us a lot _already, _and we didn't have enough time to get used to Locke yet, but I'm sure he's cool!"

"I guess your right..."

"C'mon, the hot-chocolate smoothie awaits." I teased, just as we managed to reach the store. To our collective dismay, it had just shut its doors, closed for the evening. It became obvious that the rest of the retail surrounding us were closing up shop as well, it must have been later than either of us thought.

"The Center then?" I shrugged in defeat, my partner-in-crime shrugging in indifference. We needed Amy for this part, and we could spot her mingling with the crowd below, talking to a particular boy around her age on the opposite side of the ice-rink partition. She was here, of course, so she must have known some of the locals around here, quite a large number of them in fact. Glad to see that she was keeping herself occupied in our absence.

But where was Locke?


End file.
